January 2024
As we kick off the new year, I’m delighted to share our first update of 2024 with you all. Reflecting on the past year, I’m chuffed to say that my initial commitment to maintain regular communication has paid off (apart from a brief midyear interlude), no reports of boredom induced fatalities! So, let’s continue this trend with enthusiasm 
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AGM RECAP Recently, we convened for our Annual General Meeting at the Community and Sports Centre. Among the topics discussed, it was unanimously agreed to maintain the 2024 membership fees at the same level as last year. Remember, these fees include full access to the Running Track. If you’ve yet to renew your membership, don’t delay! Simply head over to Entry Central, select “Sign-Up,” then “Memberships” before the month’s end. Let’s keep our Chairperson smiling and our club thriving!
CALL FOR COMMITTEE INVOLVEMENT There have been some changes to our club officials, Carol Massie has stepped into the role of Club Ambassador (brace yourselves for XC season next year!), while Lisa Allan has taken on the interim position of Secretary alongside her Chairperson duties. However, we are still seeking enthusiastic individuals to join our committee. Your contribution would be greatly valued, so please consider stepping forward if you’re keen to make a difference. Joining our team are Malcolm Taylor as our new Treasurer, Shaun Pirie as our Junior Leader, and a warm welcome back to Duncan Abernethy and Andy Higgins as committee members.
YOUR CLUB NEEDS YOU! Despite our club’s size, we face challenges in recruiting marshals for our two annual races. Your support in this regard would be immensely appreciated. It’s just a few hours of your time, and you’ll rarely find yourself alone. Your cheerful presence not only boosts the morale of our participants but also ensures the smooth running of our events.
SAVE THE DATE Make sure to pencil in the dates for our upcoming events! The 10k race is set for June 9th 2024, followed by the half marathon on November 17th. Let’s make these events a roaring success!
QUESTIONAIRRE ALERT Keep an eye on your inbox for an upcoming questionnaire landing. We’re eager to gather insights into post-COVID habits and attendance patterns, as we’ve observed a notable decline in club and race event participation. Your feedback will be instrumental in guiding our efforts to revitalise our club sessions and events.
Race Update
Lumphanan Detox 10K, Greg Bruce 49:32, Morag Thompson 55:14
My first experience of this race, an event on every runner’s calendar which I had successfully avoided for the past decade. Despite encountering some challenges en-route due to road conditions, and enduring relentless rain throughout the event, I can genuinely say I’d do it again in a heartbeat. Starting from the rear, aside from my lack of recent training I was well-informed of the infamous “hill” – a gruelling 3k climb right from the gun. The rumours were true; it was indeed a test of endurance. Though the course offered some relief with downhill sections and undulating terrain, another hill shaped obstacle presented itself at the 7k mark ā the weather conditions had rendered the original route unrunnable -boo! Nevertheless, I was delighted to cross the finish line at the 55 minute mark. I would definitely recommend this race to anyone, if only for the delicious soup awaiting you at the end. With an available entry of 500 and a turnout of 379 participants, the fastest male completed the course in 34:26, while the fastest female clocked in at 40:56.
Metro Prom 3k, Greg Bruce 12:30, Wilson Willox 13:09 and Pat Willox 20:34
The fourth instalment of the six prom races took place on January 5th, with a modest turnout from FRC comprising Greg Bruce, Pat, and Wilson Willox. It’s a little disheartening to note the decreased support from FRC members for this event compared to previous years. Understandably, the 2 hour round trip for a 3k distance and midday timing presents logistical challenges, particularly for those balancing work commitments. Nonetheless, these races are undeniably enjoyable. Personally, I look forward to rejoining the event in October 2024, proudly representing FRC once again. According to my calculations, both Pat and Wilson secured third place in their respective age categories. The event attracted 99 participants, with the fastest male completing the course in 9:14, while the fastest female finished in 10:22.
Race Night
The inaugural race of 2024 took place on January 3rd. It marked the return of David Abernethy for the first time this season, and to our surprise, Charlie Noble was also in attendance. Speculation suggests he may have cut short his holidays to join in on the race night excitement. Despite Greg Bruce and myself having competed in the Lumphanan Detox the previous day, our performance appeared to remain unaffected. I crossed the finish line first, it was a tight battle until the very end, with the young buck Nathan Graham and Gilliam Strachan hot on my heels in second and third place, respectively. Unfortunately, the subsequent race night instalment was cancelled due to Storm Jocelyn, and it was rescheduled for January 24th . However, even then, the event almost didn’t happen due to the high winds of Storm Isha. This week saw the highest number of racers, which was fantastic to witness, especially considering the recent decline in attendance. Fortunately, the weather turned out to be better than initially anticipated. Greg Bruce clinched the first-place position, followed by Duncan Abernathy, who achieved a season’s best, securing second place, and Shaun Pirie finished swiftly in third place.
As we wrap up January, Alison West maintains her lead with 48 points, closely followed by Nathan Graham with 46 points and Greg Bruce with 39 points. With four races remaining and Nathan having scored in all eight, there’s still potential for significant changes in the rankings.
Parkruns
Moving forward, I’ve decided to exclude the park runs from the monthly roundups as they will now have a dedicated segment of their own. I kindly request that anyone participating in tourism activities provides me with a brief review of the event and shares a picture of themselves with the name flag. My aim is to provide everyone with a glimpse into the world beyond our local parkruns.
Until next monthā¦..SloMo
December 2023
Itās time for a wee seasonal round up as we now put our new Christmas present trainers forward into the new year.
November kicked off with the Peterhead 10k, this route is still relatively new and starts at Catto running track. It was well supported with 162 runners taking part and Keith McIntyre winning in a time of 33:03. Lisa Allan, Charlie Noble and Carol Massie (taking advantage of her recent birthday) all were in the prizes too.
Robbie Cooman 35:16
Shaun Pirie 40:22
Lisa Allan 42:12 2nd FVet
Shaun Walker 43:33
Wilson Willox 46:41
Greg Bruce 48:10
Alison West 49:26
Charlie Noble 51:18 1st V70
Carol Massie 51:49 1st FV60
William McLean 56:21
Sadly, the Proms arenāt seeing many of us this year, me personally are really missing them. I had hoped to make an appearance at some point but having felt rubbish for so long I think this season will pass me by. However, die hard promers Greg Bruce and Wilson Willox made sure we were represented with Wilson being 1st M65.
As always Brian Urquhart, David Abernethy, Greg Bruce, Laura Clark, Malcolm Taylor, Mike Hartley, Pat Willox, Sandra Hartley, Steven Chalmers, Susan Urquhart, Tracey Weston and Wilson Willox were at Ellon and Hazelhead during the month, I even went along and walked the route just so I could get my breakfast . Bit of tourism this month too, Duncan Abernethy visited Warrington, Greg Bruce visited Aberdeen, and Steven Chalmers was at Ruchill. It would be interesting to hear how these tourists find these alternate routes.
Our first November Race Night, previously reported was the top and tail review, Greg Bruce from first place and me from last. Robbie Youngson took second on the night with Carol Massie in third. The second November race saw our lowest turnout ever, which is rather didsppointing when you think of the numbers we used to attract pre-covid. Alison West had a great run taking first place, Martin Watt in second and Graeme Clark in third. This meant closing off November Alison West was first overall with 33 points, Charlie Noble and Martin Watt both with 22 points and Gillian Strachan with 17 points.
The highlight of November was the Fraserburgh Half Marathon. Not only the last race of the year if you are chasing a time but also widely known as the best feed around. I think everyone should pat themselves on the back for putting on such a great event again. These events never come together without the help of the club members, families and the wider community, no matter how big or small a part you played, each role is vital to making this event happen. This year like any other we received great praise for the event as a whole and we as a Committee thank you all for your contribution. Whilst we rely heavily on club members support in running the actual event, we did manage to have a few participating. 231 participants, 1 DNF and a winning time of 1:15:21 by Jack Arnold of Newburgh Dunes Running Club.
Robbie Cooman 1:16:17 2nd Senior, 2nd Overall
Shaun Pirie 1:28:53
Martin Watt 1:42:23
Gillian Strachan 1:43:13 2nd FVet
James Buchan 1:50:21
Wilson Willox 1:53:00
Graeme Clark 1:56:48
William McLean 2:23:16
To round off November we had our presentation night, which I think everyone will agree was a great success, such a fun night and nice to get to know other members of the club. There was a variety of Club Standards given out on the night, and trophies for both the winter and summer league race nights and the Mormond Hill Race.
Winter League 2022/23 – 1st David Abernethy, 2nd Greg Bruce, 3rd Shaun Pirie
Scratch Male/Female – 1st Robbie Youngson, 2nd Stuart Craib, 3rd Shaun Pirie, 1st Lisa Allan, 2nd Gillian Strachan, 3rd Morag Thompson
Summer League 2023 – 1st Martin Watt, 2nd Jim Bowie, 3rd Shaun Pirie
Scratch Male/Female – 1st Stuart Craib, 2nd Shaun Pirie 3rd Brian Urquhart, 1st Lisa Allan, 2nd Grace Rennie, 3rd Morag Thompson
Age Graded Trophy – 1st Robbie Youngson, 2nd Brian Urquhart, 3rd Carol Massie
Peter Ritchie Mormond Hill Memorial Race Winner – Shaun Pirie , Memorial Trophy ā Morag Thompson
There was also trophyās issued for Runners Runner of the Year, Endeavour Trophy, Junior Greatest Effort, Wrinklies Greatest Effort Female, Wrinklies Greatest Effort Male, For the full details please see the FB pinned report.
As itās the winter months now races are more of the cross-country variety which we as a club donāt really participate in. Itās a real shame as not only is there great camaraderie at these events it is a great addition to your training. Carol Massie will happily extol the virtues of XC to anyone that stops long enough to listen.
It was double XC whammy for Max Abernethy, 2 XC races over 2 weeks and a lot of miles to get there. First, he was off to the birthplace of Scottish Cross County racing, and he had big shoes to fill as this course has seen the likes of Laura Muir, Jemma Reekie and Andrew Butchart all win here. On the day the route favoured the 1500m specialists as it was good running conditions on firm ground making for a fast race. Max finished 13th in a time of 11:47, he was pleased with his performance as he has seen a significant improvement in his performance year on year.
The second fixture in the 2023/24 British Athletics Cross Challenge series took place at Sefton Park in Liverpool on the 25th November which was 3 laps of testing terrain (9.8k). Whilst Max made it to the finish line in 49th place in a time of 30:34 his jimmies were not so lucky, he got spiked off the line, just as well Santa was round the corner.
A road trip to Gordonstoun for the North District Championships XC was on the cards in early December. I was really looking forward to it as I missed it last year, even this year it was a leap of faith entering but it really was good fun, we (Carol Massie, Grace Rennie, Graeme Clark, Mark Brown and myself) arrived in time see Israel Noble win his under 15 race. Whilst the underfoot conditions were very icy in parts the overhead conditions were perfect, blue sky, big sun, no wind but bitterly cold, just the way we like it. It is a 2-lap course (total 8k, 5 miles) which gives you a sense of confidence for the second lap. We have all raced there previously and it can get really dubby especially towards the end of the day but the crips conditions made for a not too squelchy race.
Unfortunately for me I missed the next cross country league race at Forres ā badly timed Christmas night out ā but Carol Massie and Jean Greig (aka Carols Mam) took on the beast as I refer to it. It really is a beezer of a hill but at the same time it is great route. Again, itās a 2-lap course (total 8k/5mile) so as long as you donāt overcook the first lap you can get a flyer on the second. To all you XC feerties, if āMamā can do it , you can too. Next XC is Aden for all ages on the 20th January (now cancelled) and then for a road trip to Forres for the oldies on the 11th of February.
December was the third of six proms and just Greg Bruce, Pat Willox and Wilson Willox in attendance. By my reckoning Wilson was 2nd M65 and Pat 3rd M65.
Ellon and Hazelhead Parkrun was well supported again in December. Duncan Abernethy, Greg Bruce, Pat Willox, Steven Chalmers and Wilson Willox were off to Aberdeen on different dates and Malcolm Taylor also made a visit to Aberdeen, just making the start line due to his questionable navigational skills. Charlie Noble and Gaynor Devine had a trip to Pontypool and Robbie Cooman winning his three Raphael Parkruns (16:44, 16:30 and 16:52). Greg Bruce was racking up miles with a trip to Aberdeen, Dundee, Ellon and Hazelhead. He also took part in the Christmas Day Parkrun in Aberdeen, unfortunately I donāt see the results for Christmas Day so if you were off on a trip and you didnāt let me know you wonāt see your name in lights here. Again, if you are a tourist, please share your opinions.
There was quite a few Parkrun milestones this month much to the surprise of some.
Charlie Noble, 150th, ran at Pontypool, in a time of 26:26
David Abernethy, 50th, ran at Ellon, in a time of 27:46 (49 of the 50 ran at Ellon)
Laura Clark, 250th, ran at Hazelhead, in a time of 31:10
Stuart Clark (ex FRC), 250th, ran at Hazelhead, in a time of 20.24
Wilson Willox, 100th, ran at Ellon, in a time of 22:37
One of our Race Nights was rescheduled due to the weather in December, but we still managed to get them both fitted in. Good to see Callum Mutch, Malcolm Taylor and Richard Mutch back. The first race was won by Nathan Graham with Matin Watt in 2nd and Andrew West in third and on the second race Graeme Clark finished first with Alison West and Nathan Graham finishing in 2nd and 3rd. Finishing off 2023 and 6 out of 12 races, Alison West is top of the points with 45, Martin Watt in 2nd with 31 points and Gillian Strachan and Nathan Graham with 30 points.
We as a club had a bit of festive fun courtesy of the Wests. If you saw a bunch of Santaās running round the streets, it was us! Nice to have a bit of a social and get in the spirit of Christmas. Many thanks to Alison and Andrew for your hospitality, the post run treats were delicious. This just goes to show that running isnāt serious all the time.
And finally, to round off December Greg Bruce took part in Melās Marathon, a run hosted by Mel Edwards to raise funds to build a house in Kenya. I canāt report what Greg thought of the event, but the subtext was, it was very difficult but enjoyable. You could do as many or as few laps as you wanted but there was a group of 5 individuals (Greg being one of them) that did every lap. Kicking off each 5.25 mile (roughly) at 5am, 9am, 1pm, 5pm and finally 9pm.
Apologies for the lengthy communication but thatās a wrap for 2023.
Happy New Year and Happy Running ā¦..SloMo
Open the file to read updates on Broch running activity in previous months and forthcoming events
February update ā is 2 classed as a roll?
February 2023
Quite a quiet month for races really. Everyone is deep in winter training getting ready for the 2023 season to kick off although some seem to be peaking already.
Race Update
The month started off with the 5th and final race in the North District XC League which took place in Forres. Only 5 made the trip with Israel Noble doing some surfing on his way north as his pre-race warmup, certainly seemed to work as he finished in 3rd place 15:39 in the U15 race. The last time I ran Forres the ladies had a separate race and only had to tackle that beast of a hill once, but now we race at the same time and the same distance as the men so it was twice up that hill much to my disgust! Robbie Cooman finished 13th 34:35, Morag Thompson 29th lady 46:17, Andy Higgins 68th 54:57 and David Abernethy 69th 54:59. It really isnāt for the faint hearted but what a great race. If you havenāt done it before you really ought to, itās a beezer.
Race 10 and 11 of our winter league played out with no real change to the top three places, even with David Abernethy and Shaun Pirie taking themselves out of one race for time keeping duties. We have seen a real increase in race night numbers the last few races which has been great and makes for some real interesting results. Whilst there was no PBās for race 10, Greg Bruce 38:38, Malcolm Taylor 45:20, Stephen Hadden 43:02 and Stuart Craib 35:00 all had PBās in race 11. With David carrying injuries and Greg peaking, will the finishing order change? David is still in top spot with 64 points, Greg in 2nd with 57 and Shaun in 3rd with 51 points but Andrew West in lurking about in 4th with 41 points. With only 1 race left of the winter season can Greg finally be the bride?
Lindsays National XC Championships at Callander Park in Falkirk was held on the 25th, an āamazing course and decent weatherā. Israel Noble finished in 31st place in the U15 race in a time of 16:08 over a 4.3k course and Max Abernethy finished in 18th place in a time of 33:38.
A few of us headed to the 5th Prom Race again, was a great day if you raced it well, a tail wind on the outrun which meant the inevitable head wind on the way back, some of us made a better job of it than others. š Greg Bruce 11:57, Morag Thompson 13:16, Wilson Willox 13:52, David Abernethy 14:50, and Patricia Willox 18:37.
There was a series of Park Runners out in force this weekend but kudos to Stephen Hadden who had a course/5k PB at Ellon in 23:51. To our newest members, if you can, can you register your club as Fraserburgh Running Club otherwise we canāt see your achievements. š
This weekend was Glack Attack and the Nairn 10k. Grace Rennie and Greg Bruce took on the mighty 5 mile course advertised as ābrutal trails guarded by angry looking sheepā. Both said whilst it was really tough they would definitely do it again, so the sheep couldnāt have been that bad. Grace finished in a time of 49:49 and Greg 54:56. Itās worthwhile noting Greg used Ury Park Run as a warm up enroute. Brian Urquhart was the only black and white up at Nairn finishing in a time of 42:34.
This month however really has to be all about Greg Bruce, he is a man on a roll. After a series of PBās throughout the month he went out in style, winter race 12 38:38 PB, prom race 5 finally getting a sub 12 11:57 PB, Ury Park Run 22:07 course PB and finished off the week with a trip to Glack. Well done bud!
Month Ahead
The D33 is this weekend, 11th March, do we have any of our more adventurous taking it on? The following weekend is the Inverness Half Marathon, 12th March, as far as I know 10 of our members are taking part, be sure to let me know of your achievements and send me a pic for our rogueās gallery. Our fortnightly race night (12) will be on the 15th ā all new members welcome, drop us a message ahead of time so we can get a start time arranged for you. And finally, on the 26th March Moray Road Runners Miltonduff 10k and Sandy Hasties 17 mile Beach run from Peterhead to Fraserburgh. If you want to take part in the beach run drop Sandy a message no entry fee just a donation to MND Scotland.
If you havenāt already paid your running club fees you will now be subject to the higher rate. EntryCentral club memberships – The Online Start Line
Until next monthā¦..SloMo
Updateā¦..
Breaking News!!
“I ran as fast as I could for as far as I could”
Max Abernethy ran away with a 26 second PB at the 31st Armagh International Road Races tonight. Finishing in 79th place with a Chip Time of 14:29.
He was in too much of a rush to get out for a beer to get a decent debrief.
This race is ranked as the best and most popular road race in the world where athletes post some of the fastest times. No other race brings together so many athletes running under 15 minutes, in 2020, 139 runners posted sub-15 times! Watch this space for the official times.
132 ran sub 15 minutes last night. šš¼āāļø
January 2023
The first update post of 2023, hopefully a regular addition this year.
The year started off with the AGM at Boomerangs where the 2023 fees were agreed, to grab yourself a bargain, head over to Entry Central and select Sign-Up then Memberships before the end of the month, you will keep our Treasurer very happy. EntryCentral club memberships – The Online Start Line We also said au revoir to Duncan Abernethy and Sandy Duncan as they stood down from the Committee and big bonjour to Malcolm Taylor, Matthew Crawford and Robbie Cooman ā Iām sure they will be a big asset.
We have had a real increase in bodies at our Monday night speed session, everyone seems to be enjoying it once itās over. The track is a real friendly and safe environment for everyone to train in and remember all sessions can be adapted to all abilities ā come along and give it a go, you wonāt be disappointed.
Race Update
Max Abernethy and Israel Noble were selected at the North District Championships at Gordonstoun in December to represent the North at the Inter District XC at Scone Palace last month. Carol Massie, Graeme Clark and Grace Rennie didnāt quite make the cut. š Unfortunately, Israel was unable to attend but Max finished in 16th place amongst some of the top Scottish runners.
Race 4 of the North District XC League was at Aden Park, as we had a really good turnout of black and whites we were included in the team rankings, the men came 9th but the ladies finished on top in 6th place.
Itās not often we have to cancel race night but due to the snow and ice it was moved by a week. After race 9, David Abernethy is in top spot with 64 points, Shaun Pirie in 2nd with 51 points and Andrew West in 3rd with 41 points however Greg is loitering about in 4th only 1 point behind. With only 3 races left of the winter season its all to play for.
We had a small contingent at the 3rd and 4th Prom Races, weather was favourable from what I remember š
Month Ahead
After a 3 year absence the 31st Armagh International Road Races will take place this evening where Max Abernethy will be competing in the 5k ā we all wish you good luck! If you want to be a sofa spectator head over to YouTube for 6:30pm to see the kids junior programme, with the Womens 3k at 8:10pm and the 5k at 8:30pm.
The 5th and final race of the North District XC League will be on Saturday 11th at Forres. Anyone fancy it? If the legendary Les Nicol can do it at 87, you have no excuse!
Our fortnightly race night (10) will be on the 15th ā all new members welcome, drop us a message ahead of time so we can get a start time arranged for you.
Until next monthā¦..SloMo