Alistair reaches parkrun milestone

There was no better place to mark the occasion than at his local event at the Crichton Estate, surrounded by friends and fellow runners from the Dumfries Harriers. The atmosphere was full of energy and community spirit, with runners, volunteers, and supporters all coming together to honour Alistair’s dedication to parkrun. Over the years, he’s become a familiar and friendly face at the Crichton, embodying the values of consistency, encouragement, and enjoyment that make parkrun so special. After crossing the finish line, the celebrations continued at Crichton Central, where Harriers and friends gathered for a well-earned brunch. For anyone inspired by Alistair’s achievement, parkrun is open to all and completely free. Held every Saturday at 9.30 am at the Crichton Estate, it’s a welcoming event where you can walk, jog, or run. Elsewhere, the Linlithgow 10k was the chosen venue for this year’s annual Dumfries Harriers Club Championship on Sunday past. The historic Linlithgow Palace and loch was the perfect stage for rivalries and grudges to be settled. Rivalries at the club do not come much bigger than three time champion Alistair Barclay and club captain Gordon Stewart going head to head. In a cagey battle it was Gordon who prevailed this year, taking the men’s crown in an impressive 41:42, followed closely by Alistair in 42:01. Alex Dingwall continued his fine run of form and rise through the ranks, bagging third male Harrier and a shiny new PB in 43:18. Steven Lumb put in a solid effort getting back to form in 45:28. Two veteran warriors again clashed swords with Ian Gray just getting the better of Keith Ainslie in 48:07 and 48:58 respectively. Only five seconds separated first lady Kat Reid from second place Sonia Marquez – over the line in 50:50 and 50:55 respectively. Jenny Mckinney was chuffed to bits with her 54:47 which earned her third Harrier female. Tina Roscoe was not far behind in 55:12. Struggling with a back injury, it was a hard shift for Carol Elliot in 55:51. Lynn Goodwin over the line in 59:14. Gordon Patterson with a sterling showing in the over 70s category in 1:01:36. Christine Proudfoot was fourth in her age category in 1:01:39. Anna Dunlop and Bill Mckinney both finished in 1:02:48. And Helen Anderson got home in 1:03:38