Runners tackle 43rd Dumfries Half Marathon

Tom Cammack won the race, with Julie Briscoe first woman home

The 43rd Dumfries Half Marathon on Sunday was a superb race.

Organisers Dumfries Running Club were chosen to host the British Masters Half Marathon Championships and many of the fastest veterans from all over the country came to Dumfries to race for age group prizes.

The 13.1 mile race started and finished at Dumfries and Galloway College and the runners headed towards the Bankend War memorial, past Dumfries and Galloway Canine Rescue Centre at Dovecotewell and to Glencaple before the long drag over the hill and a return to the college. The weather was kind to the runners as it was cloudy and drizzly in the early stages before the sun came out.

In effect there were two races in one with masters entrants, from 35 years, upwards having small numbers on their backs to indicate their age category. The greater depth in the field was shown by the fact that in 2023 there were 18 finishers under the 90 minute mark and this year that rose to 46, almost 25 per cent of the entire field.

The race was won by Tom Cammack of Springfield Striders in 73.56. He lives in Moffat and led right from the start and even had time to celebrate by carrying his son over the finishing line. In an excellent example of time management he even managed to get to his work at Dumfries Prison in time for his 1.30pm shift!

In second place was Marcus Scotney, who now runs for Strathearn Tunners in Perthshire, in 74.34 and Andrew McCall in 75.54 just held off Michael Rimicans, who works at DGRI, by three seconds.

In the male age group prizes it was very close between three runners. The first vet 40 was Maciej Trzeciak of Carlisle in 76.56 in seventh place overall and he raced most of the way with vet 60 Tommy Hughes of Strive Racing Club of Northern Ireland, who is a former Olympian, and he was eighth in 77mins, only four seconds adrift. The first male vet 50 was Justin Carter of the Scottish Vet Harriers in 77.21, in 10th place.

In the women’s race Julie Briscoe of Northern Vet Runners was the winner in 81.39 followed by Sarah Attwood of the Scottish Veteran Harriers in 84.45 and Muriel Macleod of Stornoway was third in 85.49. In fourth place was world vet 55 champion Lisa Finlay of Dumfries Running Club in 86.02. The first vet 40 was Jill Smylie of Giffnock North in 90.37 and first vet 60 prize went to Jennie Jackson of Irvine in 102.41.

The youngest debutant, Joe Currie of Dumfries, did well to finish in 103 minutes yet incredibly there were two entrants who were born during World War Two and one of those, Robert Young of Clydesdale Harriers, was the first over 80 runner and he was only two minutes behind Joe.

As always the race was about participation and the enjoyment of sport. Organiser Bob Quin had a team of more than 50 marshals and helpers to make sure the runners were safe and they made sure the event went very smoothly. Thanks are due to race sponsors Rowan Glen foods, Polymer Extrusion Technologies UK, Knox Sports, Pure Gym, Tesco, Booker Cash and Carry and The Cairndale Hotel and Spa.

Thanks are also due to Dumfries and Galloway College for their excellent hosting of the event, to Dumfries Harriers for electronic timing, to Blood Bikes for on course support, to Les Hill for inch perfect championship standard course measurement, to Dumfries Devorgilla Rotary Club for their support and to the Royal Navy cadets for help at two water stops. The Samba Sisters helped motivate everyone as their drums at Glencaple encouraged all runners on the hilliest section of the course.

Finally thanks are due to Craig Smith for drone photography and to Keith Walker, Steven Lenza and Euan McLean for their camera skills.

Further race information can be found at www.dumfriesrunningclub.org.uk

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