African aces far too good

Oct 30 2009 by John Woods, Irvine Herald

THE Scottish running scene has been drastically altered this season by the presence of a group of Eritrean runners who sought asylum in Scotland after competing in the World Cross Country Championships in Edinburgh in March last year.

The East African country, which is close to both Kenya and Ethiopia, boasts athletes blessed with the same talent for running as its better known neighbours and Shettleston Harriers quickly realised the advantages of having these superb runners in their club and for the past 18 months they have been racing – and mostly winning – in Shettleston's famous blue and gold vests.

Their arrival has created some controversy, but it has also had a beneficial knock-on effect as home-bred athletes try to raise their game in an attempt to compete with the Eritreans.

It was hoped that the soft going, coupled with a hilly course, would hamper the newcomers at the Scottish Cross Country Relay Championships at Cumbernauld on Saturday and have a detrimental effect on a Shettleston A team made up entirely of Eritreans.

But the East Africans coped well with the conditions and won by more than a minute from a Central AC team which contained two former Scottish champions.

Kilbarchan AAC were only three seconds further back in third place with two Scottish and one British international runners in their team.

The Irvine AC team was slightly under strength with David Millar and Jamie Findlay unavailable but gave a good account of themselves in such illustrious company.

Pat Cullinane set off on the first leg, where most clubs traditionally put out their best runners, and ran the fastest Irvine time of the day to finish 24th in 14 minutes 30 seconds then Alex Allardyce gained four places on the second leg with a solid 14.48.

Veteran Colin Miller was drafted in for the third leg and ran a commendable 15.31 to only drop two places and, on the final leg, club stalwart Billy Richardson continued his return to his true form with 14.49 to lift the club up five places and give the Irvine A team a creditable finishing position of 17th.

The Irvine Vets team got off to a slow start with Ian Berryman having an uncharacteristically bad run in 18.36, but Stevie Connell (17.25), Jim White (18.60) and Andy Rennie (16.56) all made up places to put them in 80th place overall.