ARMAGH INTERNATIONAL ROAD RACES

Our athletes have come a long way since the club’s first “overseas” trip across the Kessock Ferry to the 1969 Avoch Gala Sports and both Stephen MacKay and Jenny Bannerman found themselves in good company in Armagh, Northern Ireland on the evening of Thursday 18th February.

The event was the Armagh international women’s 3K and men’s 5K road races plus the associated men’s open 3K where Stephen took sixth place with a time of 8:56 which more or less matched his indoor effort six weeks previously.

Jenny was in a highly competitive women’s international 3K which several national teams including from Poland, England, Scotland, Wales, Belgium and Ireland. A record 28 runners, including seven Scots, broke 10 minutes for the distance and Scotland’s four selected athletes had top 16 finishes to win the team contest. The sub 10 minute performers included Jenny who ran 9:53 for 24th place, just two seconds outside her personal best and ahead of runners from some of the national teams.

Jenny in Armagh with Scottish team members Steph Pennycook, Sarah Inglis and Beth Potter.