DESPITE another quiet week for Irvine group Ron's Runners, three recruits did manage to line up at the Ayr Christmas Day 5k Park run at Rozelle.

Still having to find exactly how fast he can in churn out the miles, John Owens had the honour of leading them home when he clocked 21:56. This can be regarded as an excellent time for John to record given that the Ayr route is considered much slower to run than usual 5ks and the conditions both underfoot and above could only be described as horrendous.

Also sporting the club’s colour Eric Pearson finished with 34:28, while Dayle Burnside should be content with her performance when clocking 40:36.

Surprising no members turned up for the very popular Ayr Turkey Trot 10k on boxing day where in recent years the club has had, on occasions, numbers taking part well onto double figures. Another venue which has been growing in popularity in recent years Dundonald 5k and 10k fun run was also strangely lacking of the club’s runners though club member Sandra Hunter was there as an official standing on the top of Dundonald Hill exposed to biting wind for almost 70 long minutes.

Tuesday, December 28 was the agreed date this year for the club’s Christmas Handicap race run where every runner is allocated an estimated time according to recent past and present form in which they should be able to complete the distance of 2.8 miles. The runners, whose estimated time is longest sets off first followed in various time gaps until the last runner, the one deemed most fast, sets off in pursuit of all ahead. Should the handicapper get the sums correct all runners should in theory reach the finish line in a large bunch. This has not yet been witnessed but past years have thrown up some pretty close mad dashes for first place and can still show some wonderful neck and neck rivals further down the running order.

There was a disappointingly low turn-out of members this year as more and more members who had intended taking part failed to appear with the reason given as falling prey to the recent flu-like bug which has spread wild-fire like through the club, with some who did attended feeling more like crawling to bed than take part, but even so the numbers hardly did justice to all the preparations required.

As to the race itself some of the times recorded were remarkable with many of the day’s mementoes being won by those runners from the lower or middle order field and turn up for race after race knowing they are hardly likely to figure on the winners’ list, exactly the runner to which the race is intended to give an opportunity of being first home.

Grabbing the limelight this year, a relatively novice runner Dayle Burnside being first away led throughout to claim the winner’s Trophy.

Dayle’s determination to do well was evident by the time she breasted the first hill where the effort made was evident in reddened cheeks and with supreme effort held her comfortable lead to the end.

A determined though fruitless chase by David Ridout who was second across the finish line was rewarded by claiming first male home. Behind David two more well deserving members Cameron Steer and Hugh Hood also ran well.

For the ladies a sparkling run from Melanie Sinclair saw her next home with Shavaun O’Neil and Audrey Green following.

Individual running times over the 2.8 miles were Dayle 31:53 David 22:21 Cameron 23:16 Hugh20:56 Melanie21:50 Audrey 24:56 Shivaun 23:34 Angela Gibson 27:08 James McGill 19:29 James Elliot 21:53 Pamela Porteous 23:03 Thomas Hodgart 22:52 and Ian Short, never one for shortcuts, and making the task more difficult, handicapped himself further when missing a sharp turn, adding some 800 yards to the allocated route, returned with 26:38.