Last Race before Covid-19 ban

The start or is this a Herd Immunity exercise - Ready

Steady

Go

Flying at 8 miles

The Balloch to Clydebank half marathon is one of the long established classics and today it incorporated the Renfrewshire, West of Scotland and Scottish Universities championships. I was a chauffeur and spectator for Gregor and it brought back memories of running the race in 1987. Much had changed but not the weather, it was still foul. The race quota of 500 had been achieved although only 405 started, the rain and strong winds, flooding on parts of the course, and runners avoiding mass events as a result of coronavirus were all plausible excuses, although £27 to enter a race seems a bit steep compared to the fees in my days of competing.

Gregor had already put in 750 miles of training this year in mainly atrocious conditions as preparation for the London Marathon, so his stamina was good at the expense of sacrificing some speed. He had hoped to set a new pb and break 70 minutes but missed by 6 seconds and came fourth. It had still been an excellent run in the conditions and the hope now is that the training can be put to use in the week's ahead but the prospects of races are slim in the near future. The starter of the race had wished the assembled runners a good run as it might be the last for a while as sporting events are eliminated in the weeks and months ahead.

We stayed on for the prize giving in the splendid new Clydebank Sports Centre. People kept their distance apart in the cafe and reception areas. The Centre has been built on the banks of the Clyde on the old John Brown shipbuilding yard next to the impressive new Further Education College. The slipway that fired the liners into the White Cart as it enters from the opposite banks of the Clyde is a reminder of Clydebank's days as the world's most celebrated shipbuilding town. Clyde built has been transformed into Clyde learnt.

The slipway for launching the Queen liners at the John Brown Yard