As well as being the ultimate test of your club's endurance credentials its also the ultimate test for the team manager to get the best team out from the club .This year was probably the hardest year ever with our team changing on an hourly basis during the lead up to the race!

The event takes place in Sutton Park in Birmingham with legs of approx 5km & 8km .This year it was a bit cold and windy, unlike the heat wave of last year. Looking at the 14th place the club took in the race it was a year of a missed opportunity to be in the medals. Tipton Harriers won easily and it was only a couple of years ago we were pushing them right to the finish but its easy to say that,getting your athletes to the line is the trick.

This year team was a mix of youth and very experienced runners . It was to the great credit of our old timers that they answered the last minute call to run as we lost athletes for a variety of reasons .

Leg 1 -Thomas Fay ( 13th )   26.40  .Thomas's run on leg one was of the highest standard and probably was the run of the day from a club member. It was also his first time running a long leg .He was only one second behind Scottish Cross Country medallist Ross Houston of Central on the fastest times of the day, and placed 20th overall . 

Leg 2 .Amanuel Hagos ( 9th ) -14.55. It was great getting Amanuel back in a team competition for the first time in over a 18 months .He is back in training and we look forward for further progress from him over the summer . 

Leg 3 Daniel Bradford ( 5th ) 27.15  Daniel put us in 5th position the highest of the day showing his recent PB of 30.50 over 10km was no fluke . 

Leg 4 -Matthew Turner  ( 6th ) 15.25 .Making his first appearance at the 12 stage Matthew coped with the pressure to record a fast time and hold us in the top 10. 

Leg 5 -Lachlan Oates  ( 6th) 27.21. Normally speaking the club would have not put a young athlete on a long leg but Lachlan did not disappoint, running a swift 27.21 and holding his position . 

Leg 6- Andy Little ( 9th ) 16.02. 47 year old Andy first competed in the 12 Stage Relay in 1995, 17 years ago, running 15.44 .As soon as he knew the club needed him to run he jumped on a plane on Saturday morning and made the journey to Sutton Park .True commitment  and a excellent run . 

Leg 7- Mike Deason ( 10th ) 27.42 . A PB performance from Mike in cold and windy conditions .For the later legs its harder for athletes often running solo legs as the fields spread out over this 4 hour race . 

Leg 8 .Adam Lee ( 10th)  16.18 .First time running in the 12 stage .A solid run from Adam and a target for future years .Sub 16 is essential for medal chasing clubs. 

Leg 9 .Adam Peters ( 14th ) 30.12. The night before the race we had only 5 long runners and 21 year old Adam  put himself forward for the pain and solo run on this leg .It was painful but the experience will help him in the future and on his return to Sutton Park he has set himself a personal target to run faster. 

Leg 10 . Iain Johnston ( 14th ) 16.37  The night before the race as Tewolde Mengisteab pulled out with a leg injury we did not have a team. A 10.30pm phone to Iain based in London was made and again there came from this 46 year old athlete a promise to be there - a positive message to our young athletes about commitment to the club.We are only what our athletes put in! His run of 16.37 is excellent and I am sure he enjoyed the atmosphere of Sutton Park again . 

Leg 11 Paul Sorrie ( 13th ) 27.45 .Paul was disappointed with his run not seeing another athlete the whole way round. Who can forget the excitement of Paul charging up the road two years ago when we took bronze ,the first Scottish club to do so for 25 years . 

Leg 12 Billy Coyle  (14th) 16.33.  Billy is again a veteran of the club teams of the 1990's. Little did he think as a 49 year old he would running around Sutton Park again.Never having the pleasure of doing a short leg this was a new experience but a pleasant one. 

Final Position 14th -4hrs .22mins 45 secs.     Results 

The team does not get to the start line without a large support team and I am sure the athletes would like to thank everyone: The club for the vision of giving athletes the opportunity to compete at the highest standard; The management team on the day -Elaine Mackay for getting all the athletes to the start line as well as driving the team, plus Raymond Loughran and Lindsay MacNeill  for driving the 600miles. As well as the team the club is lucky to take supporters to the race and the athletes enjoy the tales and experience of Jim Harkins /Tommy Patterson on the London -Brighton Relay which was replaced by the 12 stage race  .Thanks also to the Oates family, Murdo and Michael Harkins for their help. John Oates at the age of 52 was on stand by for the whole day  as reserve !

The lesson from the race was we need to get our best athletes to the line if we want to be in the mix. Roll on next year !

Tewoldeberhan Mengisteab won the Tom Scott, leading Shettleston to the team title.

Strathclyde Park was the setting for the 50th Running of the Tom Scott Memorial 10 mile Race. Over the last four years Shettleston athletes have captured this spectacular trophy each time. It was the setting for our former Eritrean athletes to make their explosion onto the scottish athletes scene when Tsegezab Woldemicheal took the title in 2008 and then retained it for the next two. Tsegai Tewelde then took the title last year. Tsegezab's time of 48.45 is still the course record and one of the fastest times run in Scotland in the last ten years .

The race also doubles as the Scottish 10mile Road Championships and the hard working team of Tewolde,Thomas Fay and Lachlan Oates retained the title ahead of Cambuslang and Edinburgh. 

Strong winds on the back four miles of the course slowed down the athletes with Tewolde, Lachlan, Andy Douglas (Inverclyde) and Ross Houston (Central) breaking clear after a few miles. Making his debut as a senior, Lachlan found the pace too hot and eventually dropped off the leading group. With less than a mile to go Tewolde made his move to win in a fast 49.55 and take the national crown for the first time. Thomas's time of 51.21 and Lachlan's time of 51.32 were both PB performances.

The ladies team of Carol Setchell (5th -62.08), Avril Mason ( 65.58 ) and Jessica Oliver -Bell (66.00) made history when they picked up the first national team medal  for the club, taking bronze behind Edinburgh and Fife.

Further results for the 10mile race were  John Duffy (32nd -60.27), Mark McColl (45th -62.10), Andy Kirkhope (153rd -75.51) and Joanne Harkins who did 85.14.

 In the supporting 6km race Shettleston celebrated further success with Mike Deason taking first in a brisk 18.51 and with the support of Adam Lee (5th)  and Denis Williams (9th) the club took the team title.

Full results are here .

All attention was on Livingston on Saturday with the last major championship of the Scottish cross country and road season: the National 6-Stage Road Relay. Shettleston went into the race as defending champions but Central AC just proved to be too strong on the day for our team. The team of Paul Sorrie, Michael Deason, Adam Peters, Tewoldeberhan Mengisteab, Matthew Turner and Thomas Fay only finished 43 seconds behind Central but Thomas Fay had to work hard to hold off a fast finishing Stuart Gibson of Ron Hill Cambuslang to win the silver.

In the Veteran Mens Race, Cambuslang turned the tables on the Shettleston team of Bill Breckenridge, Kenny Richmond, Billy Coyle, Andy Little, John Duffy and Denis Williams to win the gold, whilst we picked up our second silver of the day.

Our B team of Gary McBride, Adam Lee, Kevin Brydon, Marc McColl, Gary Turner and Kenny McCoy finished 12th.

Carole Setchell was our only lady competing, but she finished an excellent 6^th on stage 1 in 19.20.

The club’s attention now turns to the English 12 Stage Road Race Championship at Sutton Park (Birmingham) on 14^th April. Last year the club finished 11^th and first Scottish team.

This weekend saw Shettleston Harriers competing at Maryhill on Saturday and then at Grangemouth on Sunday, The Nigel Barge 10 K on Saturday saw Thomas Fay winning in 31.55mins from club mate Lachlan Oates by 30 secs, Matthew Turner finished 4^th with brother Gary in 25^th position. Peter Ward was 49^th with Sarah Ward finishing 80^th.

On Sunday at the 46^th Round the House Road race at Grangemouth saw Tewoldeberham Mengisteab finishing 2^nd behind Ross Houston of Central Ac. Mike Deason was 4^th with Paul Sorrie 7^th. Kevin Brydon finished in 24^th position.

Meanwhile on Thursday Emma Arbuckle, running at the Renfrewshire Schools Cross Country, came away with the gold medal to add to her recent bronze. At Balloch Park Natasha Mackay, running in the Dunbartonshire Schools Cross Country, finished 4^th just getting run out for the bronze medal a couple of metres from the line.

Tewoldeberham Mengisteab and Paul Sorrie