ENDURANCE runners with Pitreavie AAC have been participating in a number of local races and have enjoyed success into the bargain.

Members of PAACE took to the hills near Kelty in the Path of Condie race, which was hosted by Kinross Road Runners, and covered almost 1500 metres of ascent and a half marathon distance.

First home for the club was Scott Clark, in one hour, 40 minutes and nine seconds, followed by Cam Warner (1:47.37) and Gavin Major (1:51.47), with Clark then going on to compete in the Scottish Coal Carrying Championships in Kelty.

Alongside club-mate Graeme Baxter, they completed the course in times of 7:57 and 7:13 respectively, as male and female winners, Wallace Nelson and Caroline Leach, crossed the line in impressive times of 4:57 and 5:27.

Pitreavie’s endurance runners were also out in force at Blast Running’s Sunset Marathon, which started in daylight at Cramond, in Edinburgh, and finished late into the evening.

Runners entered either in teams, splitting the four laps between them, or ran the full marathon individually and, of the six PAACE members who took on the full distance, Neil Maclachlan came home first for Pitreavie men in a superb time of 3:25.12.

Ben Fraser, in 3:28.05, was close behind him, while a further 11 runners came together to form teams and enjoy the atmosphere and perfect running conditions.

The tough, hilly Kirkcaldy 10K trail race was another event that included several PAACE entrants, and Kym McCulloch impressed to finish third in the V50 female age group, while Christine Syme took on the Wee County Harriers’ ‘Cambus Quarter’, a race which is held over the unusual distance of six-and-a-half metres.

David Henderson’s training with the club continues to pay off as he posted a time of 37:36 in the ‘Roon the Toon’ 10K race in Kilmarnock, which he improved upon a week later at the Perth 10K, clocking 36:47, a new PB. That race was supported by a further seven PAACE members, including Claire Fairbairn and Tina Khan, who only recently completed the ‘Couch to 5K’ initiative with Pitreavie’s Jog Scotland group, Ready, Steady, Go Pitreavie, and Debbie Cooper, whose running streak continued after completing the Blast Sunset marathon run.

The club has also continued to support the thriving parkrun scene, a free, weekly event encouraging participants to run, jog or walk a timed 5K distance, and more than 30 members have run or volunteered at local events in Dunfermline, Kirkcaldy and Lochore.