Tom Mills (Team Leader), Irene Cahill (CPN), Mhairi MacAllister (CPN), Gillian Agnew (OT),  Mark Steven (SW) and Mark Dunlop (CPN) from the North Ayrshire Community Mental Health Team based at the Three Towns Resource Centre in Saltcoats ran the Great Scottish Run 10k in Glasgow on 4th September.  The staff have become known as The Three Toons Trotters!!! The Trotters are raising money for Breast Cancer Care as the CMHT has been significantly affected by breast cancer over recent years both in terms of staff and immediate family members.

The Trotters wish to thank everyone who has donated to Breast Cancer Care. Please read all about our run below.

The big day has arrived!!!

 

We all congregated in George Square at around 9am with thousands of others. The boys were in the Blue group with the girls in Green so we parted company as everyone took their places around the Square. At 9:30am sharp, Daley Thomson, started the run off with the White group, who are the real runners! The Blues then walked to the start and waited till the Whites were a good way up St Vincent Street then it was their turn. The Greens then walked to the start with the Yellows walking to the Green area until it was their turn.

 

Anyway it took over 20 minutes for all the runners to get started but that didn't matter because we were all chipped. The sight of thousands of runners going up the St Vincent Street hill is quite a sight. It's great when you get to the top of the hill but thankfully we were still fresh and quite excited. We headed down and through Finnieston then made out way up the slip road and onto the Kingston Bridge. Drivers were tooting their horns which were encouraging. The Kingston Bridge is 3K into the route, and then it was off the bridge and under the new motorway extension to Scotland Street. Just before the 5K marker at Shields Road is the first water station. The heat was beginning to build up so it was very welcome for a drink and to pour over us! Onward we plodded and the 7K marker was at Maxwell Drive. It was reassuring seeing so many locals supporting the runners. The second water station was further along this road and by this time the heat was starting to get to everyone so yet again it was great to use it to cool down. Eventually we neared Glasgow Green and the supporters were increasing lining up along the road and clapping everyone running past. The finish line was a welcome sight as we entered Glasgow Green so that last few hundred metres were exhilarating. 

 

As we crossed the line we were given our medals, bag of goodies, water and a banana.  It was glorious day much better than the weather forecasters predicted. We regrouped and got our photos taken from Breast Cancer Care. Maureen and Richard our fellow Trotters had to leave early so the rest of us watched the half marathon runners coming in. We were interviewed by the BBC along with many folk so we didn't expect it will make the TV. So can you imagine the surprise when we started receiving texts, phone calls and comments on Facebook at around 10:30pm to say we had made it onto the BBC Scotland news!!!!! We had to get our photos taken with the Olympic Flame and as Irene had been pestering everyone at work to nominate her as a torch carrier for next year's Olympics, we all had to opportunity to nominate her by making a video. We were piled into the back of a special taxi which had a video camera installed so Gillian got the job to say positive things about Irene. What are Irene's chances of being successful........as much chance of winning the Lottery!!

 

So it was off to Merchant City for a late lunch before heading home. A great day which has spurred us on to do it all again next year!!

 

Here are our times:- 

Mark S    - 0:51:35

Mark D    - 0:56:22

Gillian      - 1:01:09

Tom         - 1:06:04

Irene        - 1:07:06

Mhairi      - 1:12:25

 

TO EVERYONE WHO HAS MADE A DONATION, THE THREE TOONS TROTTERS WISH TO SAY A BIG THANK YOU TO YOU ALL.