The club celebrated the start of the new century with some very good results across all events but maybe the Hill Runners had the best of it with several international runners from within the club. Jim Shields’s triathlon exploits should not obscure the fact that was a very good hill runner in his own right. Brother Bobby was also top class on the hills, fells and mountains but in 2001 we had two athletes who won World Mountain Running Trophies at the same event. Jim was a good second in his race and Christine was third in her race. First we have the article from the Clydebank Post.
Christine had started running with Bellahouston Harriers, then joined Clydesdale Harriers and ran for the club for many years winning races, setting records and generally bringing a great deal of credit to the club.
They both won their races and received identical trophies – both below. Jim’s first – the race for M55 was won by a Czechoslovakian called Goetz Biemann in 40:04 with Jim second in 40:16, ie less than 100 yards behind. Most days Jim defeated Biemann and when they went for a run the after the race, Biemann said that “Yesterday was just my day!”
Then we have Christine’s third place trophy for the W40 age group at the same venue on the same day. The winner was also Scottish, Sonia Armitage.
A very good day for two very good runners. Christine also organised ‘Come and Try’ days for people who thought they might be interested in hill running. They were held from the Hall in Old Kilpatrick and were staffed by Clydesdale Harriers Brian Edridge, Ian Murphy, Brian Potts and Denis Bell from Haddington. Picture below taken at one such day: – , Denis Bell, Christine, Brian Potts, Ian Murphy, – .
