Senior Ladies Endurance - 23/24
Edinburgh Athletic Club’s senior ladies’ endurance squad have enjoyed a recent run of great success at competitions across Scotland. The ladies have won national-level individual and team medals across all distances and surfaces including on the road, on the track, on the cross-country circuit, and on the trails and hills. Long-standing records have also fallen as the ladies’ section has gone from strength to strength, and there are now almost 100 ladies of all ages and abilities in the club.
The 2023-24 Scottish cross-country scene was dominated by Edinburgh AC’s ladies. In the National Championships at Falkirk, Alice Goodall took the win, Nancy Scott was second and Kirsty Walker was fourth, with Beth Ansell, Rose Penfold and Doireann Hughes also putting in strong runs to secure team gold medals. Janet Dunbar won the F50 title, while Sue Ridley picked up F50 bronze.
The club’s ladies gave another show of strength at the National Short Course Championships in Lanark. Eloise Walker took the overall win, and Kirsty Walker battled hard for second. With Nancy Scott in fifth and Alice Goodall in tenth, the ladies took team gold, while Janet Dunbar claimed F50 bronze.
The club’s ladies were also prominent in the East District League, comfortably winning senior, masters and overall gold across the three races in Kirkcaldy, Bathgate and Dundee. Core athletes included Kirsty Walker, Nancy Scott, Merce Sanchez Oller, Rose Penfold, Beth Ansell, Lauren Stoddart, Isla Scott-Pearce, Doireann Hughes, Fiona Davies, Janet Dunbar, Jenny Maclean, Sue Ridley, Frances Liddell, Katy Newell, Anne Duncan, Elaine Davies, Hannah Waugh, Karen Dobbie, Emma Laverie and Isobel Joiner.
Edinburgh AC’s Kirsty Walker, Nancy Scott and Lauren Stoddart were called up to represent Scotland East in the prestigious Inter-District Championships in Renfrew. Kirsty Walker won the race outright, while clubmate Nancy Scott was beside her on the podium in second.
The F50 ladies also took silver at the Scottish Masters’ cross-country championships in Forres, with Sue Ridley, Karen Dobbie and Julie Wilson making up the team. Sue Ridley won individual silver, Karen Dobbie won individual bronze, while Anne Duncan, Sharyn Ramage and Elaine Davies also competed well.
Moving to the roads, at the National Road Relay Championships in Livingston, Edinburgh AC’s ladies finished second, with Beth Ansell, Chloe Malcolm, Merce Sanchez Oller and Rose Penfold all putting in strong runs. Sue Ridley, Jenny Maclean and Julie Wilson landed gold medals in the F50 category.
At the National 10-mile Championships in Strathclyde Park, Rose Penfold, Doireann Hughes and Isabella Ellwood all ran close to 60 minutes to take team gold. Janet Dunbar picked up bronze in her F50 category. Meanwhile, at the East District 10km championships in Grangemouth, Rose Penfold took the win with clubmate Ailie McGowan-Bolton in second. Hazel McCormack also had a strong run to help secure the team title.
Edinburgh AC’s ladies also swept to glory at the London Marathon, which doubled as the Scottish marathon championships. Doireann Hughes, Isabella Ellwood and Jayne Nisbet all smashed the 3-hour barrier to win the Scottish team title. Then the fast and furious Scottish 5km Championships along the Cramond shore saw Jacqui Rainger win a bronze medal in the F40 category and Julie Wilson take silver in the F50 category.
Alice Goodall and Janet Dunbar won senior and F50 titles respectively at the Scottish Trail Running Championships in Birnam. Sue Ridley made the trip to the European Masters Mountain Running Championships in Madeira, taking category gold, silver and bronze medals across three mountain races ranging from 5km to 33km. Sprinter Stacey Downie won four silver medals at the European Indoors Masters championships in Poland, and Sharyn Ramage also picked up a team bronze medal.
Finally, Edinburgh Athletic Club’s senior ladies recently set a new Scottish All Comers’ record and Scottish Championship Best time as they won the 3 x 800m race at the Scottish National Track Relay Championships in Ayr. Beth Ansell, Margot Wyrwoll and Kirsty Walker completed the race in 6:43.21, taking almost 3 seconds off the previous record, which had stood for 32 years.