Claremont @ Weetslade, 24th June 2026
Nine debutants made up the three Claremont teams on a warm night at Weetslade Country Park.
Ailsa & Harry are sadly leaving us soon, so after fittingly combining in a team on Wednesday night, they joined forces once more to give us an account of their Claremont swansong:
Harry: It’s almost a guarantee that the sun will shine down on Weetslade Country Park for our annual relays. This year came with the added spice of temperatures in the mid-20s. Ideal for a walk in the park, less so for some hotly contested but all-round enjoyable relay racing.
Rose gave a pre-race briefing with a difference, acknowledging this as the first Weetslade without Terry Welsh, and that his brother John was present as a volunteer, carrying on his sprit.
It was highlighted how Terry had been the ‘engine’ behind Weetslade for 12 years, doing all the paperwork and organising without so much as a complaint, and how he was so free with his time, giving back to the running and wider community.
He also maintained a superlative record in The Great North Run, not missing one from 1981 through to 2023, despite multiple health setbacks. It wasn’t a difficult choice to make Coco this year’s charity, a cause Terry raised so much for.
As we ran the first and third legs of the same team, we can offer differing insights into the evening of racing. Myself, and fellow relatively new members to the club, James Adair and Ryan Thompson, set off after being startled by the starters gun. It seems everyone was startled by the starters gun. There was early jostling and wide elbows as we raced across the grass and someone unfortunately lost their footing and took a tumble in the grass. He bounced right back up and luckily didn’t taking anyone down with him.
The mass start thinned as the long hill loomed. Thankfully a well-placed photographer (Luke Woodend) was in a prime spot to keep us runners honest and smiling before enjoying a well-earned view and the downhill path.
With the hill descended and back on the flat, loose-surface path, I found myself in a small group of similarly paced runners. We settled into a brief rhythm with the course undulating and the sun unrelenting. The sweat was beginning to sting my eyes at this point. As the end of the path loomed, we picked up the pace and kicked up some dust.
Rounding the last corner to re-enter the grass pitches and spurred on by Claremonters in the crowd, I gave it my all only to be passed on the line by a runner from Newburn RC. I collected myself and joined the supporters as Maria took off on the second leg.
At every turn of the course was a Claremont member, old and new, marshalling and more importantly full of smiles and voice and giving everything they had cheering on the runners, cementing Claremonts reputation as the friendliest and most supportive club in the North East (biased opinion by author).
Ailsa: A beautiful evening. With the race commenced and the wave of ‘A’ runners now beyond the playing fields, the crowds of spectators and relay runners mingled under the sun high and hot in the sky. As the minutes went by, an air of trepidation settled across the fields, with the ‘B’ leg runners called to the starting pen. I stole a moment for a quick warm-up past the playground, preparing for the enjoyable mix of terrain awaiting me on the course.
Fellow ‘C’ leg runners Lauren McQuillan, Mark Flynn and I made our way down to the start. As numbers were called, we eagerly awaited glimpses of our ‘B’ leg runners as they turned the corner and entered the home stretch down the playing field lined with supporters. Clubs celebrated their teams finishing, clapping and cheering. The joyous sounds animated the evening summer air, offsetting the weight of the heat. Amongst the numbers, the announcers called ‘lead’ and Lauren and I looked at each other, momentarily confused, and then erupted into cheers as the blue of the Sunderland harrier runner with a ‘C’ bib came gliding down the finish, winning the relays.
Before I knew it, my team’s number was announced, signalling that Maria Oranges was pushing to the end after a stellar run. As she crossed the finish line, the race official gave me the green light, and I launched. Crowds of runners mixed, exhausted but lively and jovial as I ran past them.
Generally, the final leg of a relay can thin out, with fellow runners few and far between and the crush and rugged motivation of your competitors less present; however, through the hedges and into the country park, we were met by the friendly and encouraging faces of Claremonters marshalling in high-vis jackets at every twist and turn, smiling, cheering, and giving a boost for all runners out on the course, as though we were the first they’d seen. It is second to none, and a huge thanks to everyone.
Passing through the lanes, the route opened up into grassy green countryside, singed yellow by summery days. Up ahead was the infamous hill, the evening sun beating down behind us, as we braved the relentless climb. The promise of the top grew nearer with each twist, bringing the hope of the end that never quite seemed to come. With burning legs and lungs, we were greeted by the happy and supportive calls of the marshals at the top and a spectacular view.
The slow descent that followed felt heavenly. The deadliest but most brilliant moment of the course, one that was whispered and cursed amongst the clubs of the region, had been conquered.
The remainder of the route snaked through grassland and woodland, a satisfying medley of terrain and picturesque countryside. As the route led us back towards the playing fields, I heard a fellow Claremonter cheering behind me. Lauren McQuillan had pulled an epic run out of the bag, starting minutes after me and making up time even with the monstrous hill – she flew! As we ran the rest of the route, I envisioned the iconic-ness of two sky blue ladies crossing the finish line together. We did indeed finish within seconds of each other, a fantastic feat and a run to be proud of for Lauren, as well as all involved.
The evening was rounded off by an awards ceremony and the handing out of the much-anticipated goodie bags. Goodies ranged from stuffed bunny rabbits in dresses to bottles of posh local beer, a real lucky-dip and an excellent Claremont tradition, initiated by Terry himself.
Ailsa & Harry: Running the Weestlade relays was a bittersweet yet perfect sign off for us. In a few weeks’ time, we head north of the wall to begin our next chapter in Edinburgh. It’s tough to think of a better way to mark the end of our journey with Claremont Road Runners than this.
A huge thank you to the organisers, to the team captains for supporting us to run, to the volunteers, and to all the members for welcoming us and, equally, making us extremely sad to be saying goodbye (for now). Bias aside, you are the loveliest, most supportive, and overall best club around, hands down. We wish you all the best and look forward to our paths crossing again.
| Position | Runners | Time |
| 66 | James Adair Cate Walker Mark Flynn Team Time | 17:11 21:24 19:43 58:18 |
| 110 | Harry Tracey Maria Oranges Ailsa Ralph Team Time | 19:02 25:45 24:10 1:08:57 |
| 112 | Ryan Thompson Katherine Bell Lauren McQuillan Team Time | 21:04 25:35 22:36 1:09:15 |
