Graham Laing: Winner of the first two Aberdeen Marathons and one of only two Scottish men to win at all.

The Aberdeen Marathon always had a good reputation for being well organised and, despite being so far North, was always well supported by runners not only from all parts of Scotland but also from the other Home countries and indeed incorporated an International fixture.   It deserves to be better known and Colin Youngson does that with the following account of the event from 1979 to 1990.   For convenience I have used one table for both men and women and the team race result is for the Men's Team Race.   Over to Colin.

Despite the efforts of the incorrigible Alastair Wood and his staunch training partner Steve Taylor, who inspired many Aberdeen runners to do well in the Scottish Marathon Championship, the Shettleston Marathon and other marathons in England, Europe and beyond, there was no post-war local full-distance marathon event, although there were plenty of long-distance races (from 10 miles to 21 miles) in the North, East or West of Scotland.   And in fact every Sunday run with Wood and co was a race!

Fraser Clyne has written "Marathon running didn't return to Aberdeen until 1979 when Mel Edwards of Aberdeen AAC organised a race over a four-lap course at the Bridge of Don on the northern outskirts of the city, with the start and finish on the university running track at Balgownie.   Graham Laing, making his marathon debut, won ..... the race attracted a field of 62 runners (the biggest marathon held in Scotland) but this was increased to a peak of 1,314 by 1984.   Numbers declined from then  on and when this race was last held in 1990, there were just 174 finishers."

1979: 16th September: Norco Aberdeen Marathon

The Winning Team was Aberdeen with Edinburgh Southern Harriers second

Leslie Watson, of course was the London physiotherapist, originally from Glasgow, who became an iconic figure in British marathon running, completing an amazing 206 marathons.   She was Scottish marathon record holder and in 1981 set a world record for fifty miles in Connecticut, USA.   Google Leslie Watson for more impressive achievements.

The route involved three and a half laps of the track and then out on to Balgownie Road, then right for four gruelling left-hand-circle laps past Causewayend, Lower Bonnyside and Whitestripes Road before going back down Balgownie Road and finishing with one lap of the track.   107 entered including 8 women.   77 started and 60 finished.   Jim Brown, a tremendously successful Scottish and UK international cross-country and track runner, started fast with Willie Day and Ian Elliot (ESH) for company.   However, by ten miles (54:06) Graham Laing had caught up.   They ran together until 20 miles (1:47:45) before 20 year-old Graham moved away to victory.  

My diary states: "Windswept, undulating, tiring course.   kept going slowly but quite strongly.   During last lap I came past Doug Gunstone and Willie Day (and the RAF runner John Bigham, who was sent off course).  Reasonably OK effort.

1980: 28th September: City of Aberdeen Milk Marathon

 Team Race:   1st England; 2nd  Scotland; 3rd: Wales; 4th Northern Ireland

A brilliant run by the newly-crowned Scottish Marathon champion, Graham Laing, who outclassed the experienced 1970 Commonwealth Marathon bronze medallist Don Faircloth; Graham's time on the same exhausting course as before was an excellent one.   The Aberdeen Press and Journal reported: "Early on Laing forged ahead of Bolton's Mike Critchley, the leading Englishman, and after ten miles had a 45 second advantage, which had become two minutes eighteen seconds by 20 miles.   He broke his own course record and reduced his personal best by two minutes seven seconds.   A well-judged race was run by Don Faircloth of Croydon who moved from sixth in the second lap to second at the finish."        Recently crowned World Veteran Marathon Champion Don Macgregor was a long way in front of his M40 challengers.

1981: 27th September: City of Aberdeen Milk Marathon

Team Race:   1st:   England;   2nd:   Scotland;   3rd:   Wales.

Priscilla went on to become one of the greatest veteran marathon runners.   Her peak performances included: sixth in the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, and at the age of 42, second in the London Marathon (2:26:51 and first in the New York Marathon.

This race took place in cold, gale-force winds and driving rain.   the new course finished in one of Aberdeen's lovely grassy areas: Duthie Park.   Before that, starting opposite the Beach Ballroom, it looped round Union Street, Riverside Drive and the harbour, then up the Esplanade and back down King Street , Riverside Drive, Holburn Street, Great Western Road, North Deeside Road, Maryculter Bridge and the South Deeside Road.   Fraser Clyne was making his marathon debut and 'went for it' at 17 miles.   Unfortunately, having pulled away, he 'hit the wall' and struggled home fourth.   Max Coleby, an experienced GB International runner from the famous Gateshead Harriers, squeezed home after an exciting sprint against his former team-mate Martin Knapp.

Runners To Watch, 1981, from the race programme

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1982: 19th September: City of Aberdeen Milk Marathon

Team Race: 1st Wales; 2nd Scotland; 3rd England; 4th Northern Ireland

This race must have been a real tussle!

The route started on the Beach Boulevard, and then went down Union Street, Riverside Drive, past the harbour, up the Esplanade, King Street, Market Street, the harbour again, Riverside Drive, Holburn Street, Great Western Road, North Deeside Road, Maryculter Bridge, South Deeside Road, Riverside Drive, the harbour and finished next to the Beach Boulevard.   My Diary notes:

"Cool day.   Not much wind.   Facing wrong way when provost fired gun prematurely!   Shot off up hill into Union Street, then in behind Fraser.   Broke away from Gerry and Ieuan (rest well dropped).   Five miles in 25:03!   Caught by Gerry then dropped him on the cobbles.   10 miles 50:47 - too fast.   Hung on up Holburn and out Great Western Road past Grampian TV but had to let go at the hour, in Mannofield.   kept going steadily although passed by Gerry.   Ieuan flew past at 18 miles - slight headwind.   Plodded on for the last eight miles - very tired but trying hard and held off the pursuers by one and a half minutes.   Fraser blew up last two miles, but didn't see him until the last half mile.A good try.   Not very smart tactics, though."

Gerry Helme, from St Helen's on Merseyside (who went on to run a wonderful 2:10:12in the 1983 London Marathon) had recorded the fastest-ever time on the fastest course for the Aberdeen Marathon.  Ieuan Ellis was seventh (2:15:12) in the 1986 Edinburgh Commonwealth Games and recorded a personal best (2:13:21) in that year's Beijing Marathon.   Fraser Clyne lost three minutes to Ellis in the last three miles.   However he soon became one of Scotland's best-ever marathon runners with a 1985 pb of 2:11:50 when he was second in the US Marathon Championships in Sacramento.

1983: 18th September: City of Aberdeen Milk Marathon

Team Race: 1st  England; 2nd Wales; 3rd Northern Ireland.  

1600 started.

Marriage obviously suited the former Lynda Stott's rapidly improving marathon form.   The quietly-spoken librarian, who only started running in 1981, had fitted in seven marathons before this one, when she won a gold medal in this, the very first Scottish Women's Marathon Championship.   Jacqui Hulbert had made a bold attempt to retain her title but tired badly with four miles to go.   Lynda Bain surged past to secure a clear victory.

Previous winner Graham Laing (Scotland) tried to break the field and was two minutes clear at 14 miles.   However he had underestimated the effect of running alone into powerful winds (which blew down the Press tent) and dropped out at 20 miles, shortly after he was passed by a more cautious pack of three Englishmen, a Welshman  and a Northern Irishman.   Kevin Johnson, a 25 year old Geordie, finished most strongly.   Local hero, Alastair Wood broke the M50 record by twelve minutes.    Scottish marathon champion Peter Wilson was awarded the AJM Edwards Trophy for the leading Aberdeen AAC runner and, as first finisher for the North East, won an all-expenses-paid to the following April's Milk Run in Boston, USA!   Sadly this proved to be a one-off prize. 

1984: 16th September: City of Aberdeen Milk Marathon