Irvine Athletic Club Christmas Handicap

Jan 9 2009 by John Woods, Irvine Herald

Jim pips in-form David to Christmas crown

THE annual Irvine Athletic Club Christmas 2¾-Mile Handicap for the senior runners turned into a really competitive affair with Jim White taking the title by just two seconds from the fast-finishing form horse David Millar.

In fact there was not much between all the leading runners with just 18 seconds covering the first six athletes home.

In an attempt to give everyone a chance of winning, runners are each given a handicap time before the start of the race.

And this time the back marker was David Millar, fresh from his success at the Ayr Turkey Trot, who gave the first runner a full 11 minutes of a start and although his excellent time of 24 minutes 42 seconds was enough to peg back the vast majority of the field he just failed to catch Jim White in an exciting battle for the line.

Special mention must also go to Mary Miller who was first woman athlete home and third overall and George Irving who took the men’s veterans’ prize.

Results were. 1 Jim White 24.40; 2 David Millar (24.42); 3 Mary Millar (24.45); 4 Alex Allardyce (24.46); 5 Dougie Connery (24.52); 6 Brian Craig (24.58); 7 George Irving (25.07); 8 Colin Miller (25.10); 9 Mike Flinn (25.17); 10 Jim Sneddon (25.20); 11 Andy Rennie (25.40); 12 Helen Morton (25.44); 13 Liz McGarry (26.13); 14 Finlay Dowell (26.15); 15 Jim Young (26.21); 16 Dave Campbell (27.12); 17 Dave King (27.22); 18 Dave Kerr (27,38); 19 Laureen Collier (33.36); 20 Fergie Collier (33.36).

Thanks to the above and all the others who took part and helped out with timekeeping and other duties.