PB Magazine Issue 1 - 2018

Issue 1

PB £2.50

2018

www.scottishathletics.org.uk

INSIDE

Gold Coast 2018 16 page preview

The official magazine for members of scottishathletics

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Issue 1

PB2018 05 Chief Executive Mark Munro

06 World Indoors 2018 08 News 10 Lindsays XC Falkirk 12 Great Edinburgh XC 14 FPSG Seniors 15 Gold Coast Preview 16 Gold Coast: What They Said 18 Gold Coast: Chris Bennett 19 Gold Coast: Jake Wightman 20 Gold Coast: Chris Baillie 2006 22 Gold Coast: Team Photos 24 Gold Coast: Lee McConnell 2006 26 Gold Coast: Maria Lyle 27 Gold Coast: Amy Carr 28 Gold Coast: Iain McEwan Q and A 29 Gold Coast: Holly McArthur Q and A 30 Gold Coast: Rodger Harkins 32 Grassroots Athletics: Bellahouston Harriers 34 Grassroots Athletics: West Dunbartonshire AC 36 Grassroots Athletics: Masters XC 37 Grassroots Athletics: Sunny McGrath 38 Grassroots Athletics: Event Management (Kilmarnock Harriers)

40 Grassroots Athletics: Student Athletics 42 Road Running: Luke Traynor

The ofďŹ cial magazine for members of scottishathletics www.scottishathletics.org.uk

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07885 868164

Chief Executive Mark Munro

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s I write this piece, I am witnessing the merry-go-round that is the disqualification process in the women’s 4x400m final at the World Indoor Championships.

Mark Munro Chief Executive Scottish Athletics

However, it is with great delight that we’ve seen another Scottish athlete, Zoey Clark, ultimately add to the medal tally to make this the most successful World Indoor championships (four medals) since 1993.

@SALMarkMunro

It was truly inspirational to witness Laura Muir achieve two World Indoor medals, a bronze in the 3,000m and a silver in the 1500m, in what can only be described as a truly world class field with Genzebe Dibaba, Sifan Hassan and Hellen Obiri all competing. I’m certain she will go on to win medals at the majority of major championships from this point onwards.

Also, what a moment it was when Scotland’s Eilidh Doyle collected an individual bronze medal in the 400m - a stunning performance on the flat from our 400m hurdles star. She was followed home by Zoey, who certainly established herself within the world ranks with both her individual and relay performances.

There was an interesting tweet during the championships when Pierce O’Callaghan of European Athletics (former scottishathletics employee a decade or so ago) stated that Scotland had won more medals (three at that point) in the World Championships than we did at the British Indoor Championships in 2005.

Bobby Gavin’s photo montage as eight Scots were selected for the World Indoors (L-R): Mhairi Hendry, Grant Plenderleith, Laura Muir, Eilidh Doyle, Zoey Clark, Jake Wightman, Eilish McColgan and Chris O’Hare Once again our Commissions, Officials and staff have delivered some excellent events over the last few months both indoors and out.

Strong numbers competing at the FPSG Indoor Season across all age groups coupled with another fantastic Lindsays National XC at Callendar Park were the highlight of a busy winter period.

We recently launched the inaugural event specific series doubling as a ‘club league’ for small medium and large clubs and it will be interesting to see how that project evolves within the wider competition framework.

There is a desperate need to return to an event group coach development structure within the organisation which focuses I would personally like to thank our Commissions and the Officials for delivering back on how we support coaches and a wonderful series of events. As always, we athletes and includes elements such as are trying to continually improve the athlete the re-introduction of national training and spectator experience and it was great to days with coaches, athletes and parents see the introduction of the drone coverage at included; technical workshops as well as the continuation of physical preparation and Callendar Park which really added another resource developments for coaches. dimension to the highlights package.

Quite a remark and it shows how far we have come as an athletics nation. Whilst the medals are fantastic and effectively, how we are measured, I was just as proud to watch GB senior debuts for Mhairi Hendry in the 800m and Grant Plenderleith in the The recent success of the sport has enabled 4x400m relay. Mhairi was competitive and Grant split 45.8 in the final for both to show scottishathletics to attract new partners and over the latest reporting period we have their potential. recently secured sponsorship with DW Sport & Fitness, FPSG Professional Recruitment, As well as the eight athletes competing, Voice Mobile plus of course we continue 6 of whom qualified for finals (and Eilish to value the support of Lindsays for the McColgan also competed in a final) we Cross Country Season. All of that help is must recognise the work of those coaches re-invested to support the development of involved. the sport.

So I would personally like to mention and thank Andy Young (Laura Muir), Brian Doyle (Eilidh Doyle), Eddie Mckenna (Zoey Clark), Geoff Wightman (Jake Wightman), Liz McColgan-Nuttall (Eilish McColgan), Terrence Mahon (Chris O’Hare), David Lothian (Grant Plenderleith) and Bill Parker (Mhairi Hendry). Their clubs also deserve credit so congratulations to Dundee Hawkhill Harriers, Pitreavie AAC, Aberdeen AAC, Edinburgh AC, Falkirk Victoria Harriers and Victoria Park City of Glasgow AC.

requests for a ‘professional coaching award’ to set an industry standard for best practice.

The Board has already initiated the work around the new strategy which will provide an opportunity for everyone in the sport to have their view considered over the coming months.

Undoubtedly, the new strategy will be bold and brave but will ensure the core pillars of the sport remain at the heart of our operations.

Looking forwards, we are coming towards the end of our latest strategy timeframe and the sport has developed significantly since ‘Perform When It Counts’ was drafted in 2014.

Whatever timeframe is set for the new strategy, it will be reviewed every two years with an opportunity to tweak and adjust. So, in reality, it becomes an effective, updated, evolving strategy.

We have seen major growth within clubs, and amongst those competing within the sport, and some fantastic progress around club modernisation work – an area where the clubs deserve immense credit. We are starting to see a number of paid coaching models appearing across our clubs, with

Thank you once again to everyone involved in supporting and delivering this wonderful sport and let’s hope for Gold in the Gold Coast in April. Good luck, Team Scotland!

scottishathletics

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World Indoors 2018

Birmingham departed Birmingham deeply disappointed but desperate to make amends at Gold Coast 2018. Eilish always has the ability to bounce back.

Muir, for her part, once again displayed great finishing strength after 30 laps on this track over three days, just as she did when winning the European Indoors double gold in Belgrade last year. It will delight her coach, Andy Young, who has worked so meticulously with her schedule for winter 2017-2108 with final year University commitments, of course.

LAURA

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en years ago, a young athlete sat on a bus in a car park in the English Midlands ahead of a long journey home to Scotland – and studied her bronze medal with pride.

The then 14-year-old Laura Muir was thrilled with one of the first accolades of her career, with the East of Scotland U15 girls taking third in the Inter-Counties XC at Nottingham.

Grant Plenderleith and Mhairi Hendry.

Did it deter Laura? Not a bit of it.

Genzebe Dibaba from Ethiopia was to take both the 3000m and the 1500m titles and but, by the bell, it was clear Muir’s first global medal was ‘on’. In fact, with a late surge she almost over-hauled Hassan but had to settle for bronze.

Muir’s bronze in a stellar Women’s 3000m field was a terrific achievement in itself, bridging the gap to 1993 when there were golds for Tom McKean (800m) and Yvonne Murray (3000m).

To then follow that up with silver on Saturday night just topped off a remarkable few days for the Glasgow University vet student.

When the #BeastfromtheEast struck earlier that week there was a genuine danger that Muir might not actually compete in Birmingham. Laura attended lectures at the Small Animal Hospital in Glasgow on the day before the 3000m final before then being ferried on a six-hour journey south in a UK Athletics car in the company of coach Andy Young and fellow GB and NI selections

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‘I didn’t know we had broken away,’ said Laura, after the 1500m silver, as Dibaba took gold again.

‘I was so focused on the race and the people in front of me that I wasn’t even focusing on those behind me. I used my strengths and made the moves in the right places. I knew I had to build it up but reacted when I had to.

Jake Wightman and Chris O’Hare lined up together in the World Indoors final in Birmingham on a great day for the club who helped develop these two world-class talents, Edinburgh AC. Jake duly finished sixth in 3.58.91 and Chris in eighth place in 4.00.65 with the times rendered virtually meaningless by a very slow first lap.

Muir, who had finished fifth at the National XC at Falkirk a couple of weeks earlier on a day when there were golds for Susan Partridge, Beth Potter and Chris O’Hare, finished in 33rd place that day and was the crucial fourth counter for the East team.

Fast forward to the evening of March 1 and the World Indoors in Birmingham and it was a now 24-year-old world class athlete who claimed Scotland’s first individual medal at these championships for a quarter of a century.

It’s the first time in history that a Scottish athlete has won two medals at a World Champs – indoors or out. That says it all.

It wasn’t quite what either man had wanted but at least Chris was able to run after MRI scan on his foot gave him the all-clear and Jake contested a first global final.

‘We had to put yesterday behind us; six hours in the car, windscreen wipers were frozen but we got here and I’ve won a medal so I couldn’t be happier,’ said Muir, who clocked 8.45.78 with the 1-2-3 separated by less than one second.

‘I ran the race as hard I could; I was so tired at the end. It means so much to me to get the win; it bodes well for the rest of the year, especially the Europeans.

‘I’ve been 4th, 6th and 7th at major championships so the bronze is very special. To finally get that world medal means so much; I’m delighted.

‘I just wanted to stay out of trouble at the start; Klosterhalfen took over the pace so everything went to plan. I knew I could be strong at the end so I’m very pleased.’

In contrast, Eilish McColgan was really disappointed not to have raced better on the night after feeling ‘sluggish’ as she finished 10th. Eilish didn’t make it through the 1500m heats the following evening and

Mhairi Hendry competed well in her 800m heat and ended up with a third place finish in a field of five - but her run of 2.02.65 wasn’t quite enough to make the final.

Nonetheless, it was a very solid Senior Championship debut by the VP-Glasgow athlete who was selected after silver at the British Champs and 2.01.30.

‘I think it is just a bit surreal to be lining up alongside such amazing athletes, especially to be competing in front of such a loud crowd in Birmingham, ‘ said Mhairi.

‘I think that spurred me on a bit. I can’t be unhappy with how I ran because this is my first major championships so I have to be pleased overall.’

By Peter Jardine

World Indoors 2018

Birmingham

ZOEY eilidh

E

ilidh Doyle has commanded a number of labels in recent years as she has helped spearhead the revival of athletics in Scotland – with doyen and mother hen among them.

‘It’s not my preferred event so to do this is incredible. This adds another accolade to my collection which is just amazing. It was a good race for me; I went out hard which was the plan and I’m so pleased.

Arguably the most apt of all is: decorated.

Zoey’s anchor leg had brought Britain home in fourth place in the 4x400m final that Sunday afternoon before there followed a couple of hours of disqualifications, appeals and counterappeals.

In so doing, Eilidh has helped both elevate and promote the sport in this country while also cementing her own status.

The 400m bronze she took in the World Indoors was one of the most memorable given it was an individual event and not her favoured discipline. It took her personal tally to 14 major medals on the international stage – now a clear leader as the ‘most decorated’ athlete in Scottish track and field.

Diane Ramsay, one of Scotland’s 4 x 400m runners at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, put it well on Twitter late that Saturday night after brilliance in Birmingham: ‘Know Eilidh is the nicest athletes off the track bossing that break.

Well done to Brian, too’ Brian is husband/coach and the progression from the tutelage of Malcolm Arnold has been seamless even though it’s bound to have been new territory for Mr and Mrs. Eilidh’s run for bronze came in 51.60 which is very close to her own National Record (51.45). American Courtney Okolo took gold in 50.55 and her countrywoman, Shakima Wimbley, over-hauled Eilidh for silver. Zoey Clark finished sixth with her 52.16 very close to her PB. ‘I’ve always won medals in the relays but to win one on my own in an individual 400m is very special and means a lot, ‘ said Eilidh.

And the medal count is already at two global gongs as the Aberdeen AAC athlete followed up London 2017 relay silver with relay bronze in Birmingham.

Not without a fair bit of drama along the way, it has to be said.

Since the Commonwealth Games in Delhi when the Pitreavie AAC athlete took silver in the 400m Hurdles, medal after medal has rested around her neck.

Doyle doesn’t crave the personal spotlight by any means but there’s been a steely determination about her focus for so many years. And she showed it in the fight for positions in that 400m final.

Z

oey Clark has only been to two Senior Championships with GB and NI at the age of 23 as a burgeoning career already shows great promise.

When the dust settled, Jamaica were a DQ, GB were not, and there were indeed medals for Meghan Beesley, Hannah Williams, Amy Allcock and Zoey after running 3.29.38.

‘I love the indoors – I think this has prepared me so well for the Commonwealth Games as well. I can go into that with so much confidence.’

Both Doyle and Clark had made the final after finishing third in their semi-finals.

Amid the rash of DQs in Birmingham, they were then quickly elevated into the final six and were delighted to win those reprieves.

‘It was a bit of a roller coaster, yes, but once I was in there I felt I did have a medal chance – looking at the field,’ said Eilidh.

Zoey had endured a really difficult journey to Birmingham from Aberdeen during the worst of the freak weather conditions but it didn’t seem to affect her at all.

After the final, she said: ‘I was delighted to be in the final but when you are there you always want to win a medal. I can’t be disappointed with how I ran, I mean it is my second fastest ever indoors; I gave it my best shot.’

‘It has been a busy weekend - that’s four 400m races in three days; that’s quite tiring,’ said Zoey. ‘I’m proud of how we did - we’re such a young team and everyone composed themselves well, used the atmosphere, so I’m happy with how we ran and to get the medal after all the confusion was unbelievable.’

As Zoey amasses vital experience, Grant Plenderleith savoured his first taste at this level.

The Falkirk Victoria Harriers athletes was selected after a bronze at the British Champs and then raced both the heat and the final in the men’s 4x400m team.

Grant ran the second leg in his race, with the team finishing in 3.05.08 and sixth place as Poland pipped the United States for the gold medals. He had been on the anchor in the heat on the Saturday as GB finished second to quality.

‘It was a good experience and we have got this experience for Glasgow (European indoors) next year,’ he said, after relishing the Birmingham opportunity. ‘We all know each other from racing indoors for the previous couple of seasons and we already had the bond there that you have with your team-mates. I think if the opportunity is given we flourish so it is a good experience for us.’

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NEWS

Keep up to date with all the stories @www.scottishathletics.org.uk

Leslie and Stef land MBE honour fully exemplified across social media – and particularly in our Facebook post early on December 30 which then drew hundreds of likes within only a few hours.

On Twitter, Leslie said: ‘Many thanks! Still trying to get my head around it, but hugely honoured to receive an MBE for services to athletics @scotathletics’ Reid, 33, has won multiple Paralympic and world medals but gained her first global gold at the World Para Athletics Championships in London in July 2017.

Leaping 5.40m, the single-leg amputee athlete claimed the T44 long jump title in front of a home crowd to add to her world bronze medals in the long jump and 200m from 2011.

years.

On this occasion, he will be joined by Rob Sinclair, who earns his first international cap after a string of outstanding results last year when he recorded course records across a number of established trail races in the UK. Ryan Smith is a Scot who was born in Dundee and was once captain of Edinburgh Uni Hare and Hounds but now lives in Boulder in the United States. Rachel Campbell is the fourth Scottish selection. *************************************

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record number of young British athletes are to this year receive £46,000 in grants from the Ron Pickering Memorial Fund.

And we make it no fewer than 15 Scots on the overall list of 231 athletes from 109 clubs to have been handed grants Stef, who was also an organising committee amounting to that £46,000 total. board member for the championships, The RPMF helps a number of the country’s has worked as a broadcaster and her t was a special moment for two welltop athletes make the transition from junior achievements away from athletics include known figures in Scottish athletics when an honours degree in biochemistry, while to senior level by providing financial support the New Year Honours list was made she also works as a professional speaker, for equipment, specialist training and travel public. actor and model. as well as providing a vital confidence boost. scottishathletics President, Leslie Roy ************************************* (pictured above), was awarded an MBE Here’s the list of Scots to receive a grant for her unstinting service to her sport over our Scots have been selected in from the RPMF: many years in various roles. a 12-strong team to represent Britain at the IAU/ITRA World Trail Miraji Ahmed - Glasgow School of Sport; And Paralympian, Stef Reid, received Championships over the 50 mile/ 80km Jill Cherry - VP-Glasgow; Kirsty Costello the same accolade for her services to course in the Spanish region of Penyagolosa - Kilbarchan AAC; Mhairi Hendry - VPParalympic sport after a string of top class on May 12.

Glasgow; Jack Lawrie - Pitreavie AAC; performances in recent years.

Anna Macfadyen - Edinburgh Uni Hare and Tom Owens has been part of medal winning Hounds; Seamus Mackay - Shetland AAC; President Roy is one of the most dedicated teams at these championships in the past Nikki Manson - Giffnock North AC; Holly volunteers the sport in Scotland is fortunate so will bring that experience to the table at McArthur - Edinburgh AC; Joel McFarlane to have and her influence reaches beyond the 2018 edition.

- Arbroath & District; Andrew Murphy these shores with roles in British Athletics Kilbarchan AAC; Jemma Reekie - Kilbarchan Owens was fourth individually back in 2015 and Team Scotland for the Commonwealth AAC; Alisha Rees - Banchory Stonehaven/ as he led the team to a bronze medal and Games at Gold Coast 2018.

Edinburgh; Erin Wallace - Giffnock North has been one of the British team’s most AAC; Kelsey Stewart - Aberdeen AAC Leslie’s place in the hearts of our public was consistent performers over the last few

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********************************************************************************************************************* our Scottish Records and best and posted a time of 4:05.37 to win gold performances happened over the and take the Scottish Native Record. That weekend of February 9/10. was soon followed by high jumper Nikki Manson claiming the National Indoor The #recordrush began with news from Record and Native Record with her first the United States that Nick Percy had once 1.90m clearance. again improved the Scottish Best mark for

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the Weight Throw to 21.96m.

A few hours later, the Scottish Unis event in Glasgow served up a couple of outstanding performances.

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Laura Muir took to the track for the 1500m

The Boston New Balance GP was to serve up another National Record for indoors for the Men’s 1500m. Chris O’Hare broke his own National Record with a run of 3:37.03, with Jake Wightman second in an indoor PB of 3:37.43.

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old medallists in three female age groups from U17 upwards. A 1-2-3 medal success in the Women’s U20 race. And six athletes in total climbing on top of the podium.

No wonder Edinburgh-based John Lees was feeling capital about the efforts of his endurance squad at the Lindsays National XC at a cold but stunning Callendar Park.

Eloise Walker set the ball rolling with U17 victory followed quickly by Anna Macfadyen at U20. Then Mhairi Maclennan claimed her first Senior title with training partner, Steph Pennycook, taking the silver.

‘Steph and I were actually a wee bit nervous last summer when we knew there were three or four new athletes coming to Uni or college in Edinburgh and likely to be joining us,’ said Maclennan, after coming home to win the Senior race in 37.49 for the 10K course and winning by 11 seconds.

‘We didn’t want to upset the balance of the group or the training – but we need not have worried. The likes of Anna, Laura and Naomi have been great to run with and we all get on really well away from training.

‘It’s competitive but we’re friends and that has helped us all improve, I believe.

‘I saw down with John last summer and he asked me what I wanted to achieve from my athletics. I told him that I’d love to make the GB and NI selection at U23 level for the Euro Cross in Slovakia. He said ‘Right, let’s make that happen’ and I wondered if I believed him!

Anna Macfadyen wins U20 title Yet ask Lees to put it all into context and he proved a master of the under-statement.

‘I just put training and competition plans down on paper for them – they do all the real hard work and put in the miles,’ said John.

Essentially that’s right, of course, but there’s no doubt there was good coaching at play from John at Falkirk although he was very quick to point out U20 bronze medallist, Naomi Lang, is still coached by Andrew Ferguson.

But, like U20 silver medallist Laura Stark and champion Macfadyen, Lang joined the Lees training squad this season when arriving in Edinburgh for University and the overall impact is unmistakeable.

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‘I didn’t do any track, just put in a lot of work that we thought would help with cross country. I ran well at Liverpool to make the selection and then went over to Samorin and finished fourth of the six British girls in the selection.

‘That was a confidence boost because there were some good athletes there and your aim really is to show people you should be there in a British team.

‘I was then selected for Edinburgh and I joined Morpeth because my fiancée is from the north-east of England – and I went down to the North Champs and when I won that one, it was the first race I had won for years!’

Maclennan and Pennycook led Edinburgh Uni Hare and Hounds to the team golds (78 points) in one of the tightest team races at Senior Women’s level for years. Shettleston (84) were second and Fife AC took the bronzes (86 points), with only eight points covering the three teams.

At U20 level, it was two GB internationals

who took the titles in fine style as Macfadyen marked her return from injury and Sol Sweeney again under-lined his burgeoning potential.

‘I am delighted to win that and it felt pretty good out there today,’ said Anna, U17 champion in 2016 and who finished eight seconds ahead of Stark.

‘I have been injured for a fair bit this winter but really wanted back for this one.

You always want to run the National. In mid-November I had to stop because of a problem on my glute and hamstring area.

I was back for a couple of weeks before I ran BUCS XC as a comeback race and that helped me for here.’

Edinburgh Uni took team golds from Glasgow Uni and Central AC in that Women’s U20 race.

Sweeney, racing for Glasgow Uni, could have been forgiven for taking a day off.

Only a week earlier, he recorded PB performances at 1500m and 3000m in the SPAR British Champs.

Instead, he was the dominant force and the real race developed behind him for the silver and bronze medals. In the end, after a finish straight scramble, Tristan Rees took second and Freddie Carcas third.

‘I’ve not done much cross country – just the 1km in Edinburgh and Cross Challenge in Liverpool – so I wasn’t 100 per cent sure how it would go but I’ve been running really well on the track these past few weeks so I just had to try and convert it,’ said Sol. ‘I’m pleased with how my indoor season has gone and this is my sixth or seventh time at the national cross country and I’ve never won it before so this is really good. This is a big event in Scotland and some big names have won it so it’s good to get the win. The atmosphere is great and there are so many people.’

Sweeney and Rees guided Glasgow Uni to U20 Men’s team golds from Edinburgh Uni,

Falkirk

Lindsays XC

with the bronzes headed for Edinburgh AC. Kilbarchan’s Cameron Wright took gold in the Men’s U17 race with Lasswade’s Christian Graham second and Calum Young of Giffnock North AC in third.

Kilbarchan, led by Wright, duly took the team golds from Central AC and Giffnock.

The U17 Women’s podium was an East-only zone. GB international Walker of Edinburgh AC took it after a good challenge from Team East Lothian’s Cera Gemmell. Third place went to Livingston’s Sarah Calvert.

The U15 individual golds went to now familiar faces, with Lily-Jane EvansHaggerty and Jack Patton having made Scotland appearances recently.

Kilbarchan’s Jack, setting the tone for the U17 Men’s race a bit later, won by a big distance from Hugh Morrow of Edinburgh AC and David Addison of Corstorphine. VPGlasgow’s Evans-Haggerty was joined on

Sol Sweeney wins U20 title the podium by Fife AC’s Anna Hedley and Anya Maclean of Garscube.

Giffnock’s team strength was exemplified by teams golds in both U15 Boys and U15 Girls. The other Boys medallists were Inverness Harriers and Cambuslang and the Girls other medallists were Kilbarchan and Garscube.

The U13 Boys race saw a fine win for Angus Wright of Team East Lothian – one of the newest clubs in Scotland. Silver went to Ross Dewar of Edinburgh and bronze to Ewan Christie of Gala Harriers.

The team golds went to Cambuslang Harriers with silvers for Inverness and bronzes for VP-Glasgow.

The U13 Girls race saw victory for Edinburgh AC’s Katie Johnson from silver medallist Valencia Wright of VP-Glasgow.

Bronze went to one of the furthest-travelled athletes of the day - Anya Morrison of East Sutherland. There were team golds for Giffnock with silvers for Fife AC and bronzes for host club, Falkirk Vics.

Photos by Bobby Gavin

Central AC Senior Men are ‘photo-bombed’ by young Findlay Hay with dad Alastair once again instrumental in team golds for Derek Easton’s squad

Unstoppable Central C allendar Park crowds basked in late-February sunshine on Lindsays National XC day – and Central AC made hay. Or, indeed, made Hay.

Once again led home by the 2009 and 2010 champion, Alastair Hay, the squad guided by coach Derek Easton duly made it Eight-in-a-Row in terms of Senior Men’s golds as Welsh athlete Kris Jones seized the individual gold in fine style in a Dundee Hawkhill Harriers vest.

Central AC saw off the challenges of Corstorphine AAC and Shettleston Harriers and now have their sights set on nine, with eight having matched a run by Cambuslang Harriers in the late 1980s and 1990s.

Hay has been a considerable presence with six appearances in Central’s winning team and he was fifth this time – remarkably his eighth top ten finish in the past decade!

The team total was 102 points thanks to the efforts of Alastair Hay 5, Aidan Thompson 9, Cameron Milne 13, Scott McDonald 18, Conan McCaughey 25 and Michael Wright 32.

‘We’re delighted to win it again and it was a really strong team effort with our first four in the top 20,’ said Michael Wright, another Central stalwart.

‘When you think of the people we had missing like Ross Houston and Andy Butchart, Jamie Crowe (in America) and that the likes of Alex Hendry and Scott Green are no longer around the scene, then it was impressive.

‘It’s good to have Scott McDonald back racing again and he always gives you everything he has on the day. The squad’s strength is in each other pushing each other on with the guidance of Derek Easton.

‘I believe that equals a Cambuslang record so we will be all out for Nine-in-a-Row next year. The Lindsays National XC is always an event which is important to Central AC.’ Jones, a world class orienteer who lives and train in Scotland, had looked the prerace favourite for the Senior Men’s race after a silver medal last year.

And so it proved as Kris, second to Callum Hawkins a year earlier, demonstrated his class over the 10K distance to win from Shettleston’s Lachlan Oates. That was an ‘upgrade’ for Lachlan after bronze last year and third this time went to Andy Douglas of Inverclyde.

‘It’s a strong group in Scottish Athletics at the moment so when guys like Callum, Andy Butchart and Luke Traynor aren’t on the start then you’ve got to take your chance!,’ said Kris. who clocked 33.05 to win by 24 seconds from Oates with Douglas at 33.37.

‘I got caught really far back at the start and it took about 1km to get up with the leaders. Then, on one of the short, steep hills I got a bit of a gap.’

Jones became the first Dundee Hawkhill athlete to win the Senior men’s race since Peter McColgan at Irvine in 1990. Sixth place that day went to an Annan and District AC runner S.Ovett.

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Great Edinburgh XC

Holyrood Pennycook.

‘I’ve raced for Scotland and Eloise and Mhairi were representing GB and NI. Eloise is not even 17 yet but she is coming through so strongly and I know I need my A game in training to hold her off.

‘Then we’ve had girls coming to Uni in Edinburgh like Anna and Naomi and a couple of good English athletes arrived, as well.

Relay has proved worth for Scotland

I

F the traditional early-season cross country international is indeed to be lost to Edinburgh – or (and hopefully not) any other Scottish venue – then it would be a great pity if the International 4 x 1K Relay was also part of the collateral damage.

The event grew from an idea by our former chief executive, Nigel Holl, to seek to find more international opportunities for Scottish athletes, at an appropriate level, some three or four years ago.

Organisers GreatRun picked up the baton in fine style by allowing two Scotland teams to compete as hosts when the event was first run in 2015, with Laura Muir helping Scotland to third place before subsequently guiding GB and NI to wins in 2016 and 2017 as well as this January.

That opportunity has proved fruitful and now no fewer than 20 different athletes have had the chance to run for Scotland in a televised event in front of a big crowd at Holyrood Park. This year, Sol Sweeney, Jamie Williamson and Ben Potrykus were the new names added to the list with our four female athletes all having run before in the 4 x 1K Relay.

Masters Athlete of the Year for 2017, Philippa Millage is one of those now with two appearances to her name. A first call-up to represent Scotland in the International Relay in 2017 left the then 36-year-old in a state of shock and then coursed with Scottish pride.

Philippa has followed that up with a mile run for Scotland at the Manchester International last August and a third vest in January 2018 with Scotland B in the International Relay, coming home in sixth place on the anchor leg.

‘I really enjoyed that and it was such an honour,’ she said, with Scotland B taking sixth place as the A team came home fifth.

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‘I ran down from the start not too far behind Steph Twell, someone who has been to the Commonwealths, the Olympics and the Worlds! I tried not to let the gap grow too much and I felt I didn’t. It’s a huge buzz to race in and it is good Scottish athletes are getting this chance.’

Unlike many who raced in the International events that Saturday, Millage is neither a full-time athlete or a further education student.

‘I was working on Friday in an office with meetings and stress and on Saturday I was running around a muddy field racing for Scotland in front of a big crowd and live on TV! ‘It is all a bit crazy at times but, at 37, I’m delighted. I never thought I would get a single Scotland vest but then was picked for this last year, and did the Manchester International on the track, too, so that’s three in a year.

‘Mhairi does slightly longer stuff to help her for 10Ks and I do a bit shorter and faster at times, to try and help with 1500m. So the actual training programmes vary a little bit.

‘But the whole groups is still pretty much running together on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays and I think it is pushing us all on. We enjoy each other’s company and socially we’re together quite a lot, too.

‘I was actually back in Kirkcaldy for 10 weeks there on a Uni placement and did a lot of running on my own – and I couldn’t wait to get back to the group!’

Walker, for her part, was delighted with a first run for GB and NI. ‘I am pleased with that,’ said Eloise. ‘I have run here five times in the past in this event in the Inter-Districts and I love this course.

It is a highlight of my season.

‘To get fourth among the GB athletes is great – I didn’t really think that would happen so I’m pretty happy with how I performed. ‘ Photos by Neil Renton

‘It gives me an awful lot of motivation to keep going and working hard in training.’

No doubt Edinburgh-based John Lees was a happy and proud man that January afternoon and rightly so.

Three of his current group were in international action as Mhairi Maclennan took her bow in a Senior Women’s GB and NI vest; Eloise Walker came up with an excellent 11th place finish for GB and NI in the Junior race; and Steph Pennycook represented Scotland A in the International 4 x 1K Relay as the team finished fourth, ahead of the United States and England.

That training group guided by coach Lees also includes emerging athletes like Anna Macfadyen and Gillian Black, both GB athletes at the World Cross last year, as well as Naomi Lang and Laura Stark and Scotland international, Rebecca Burns.

Something is stirring in the capital, clearly.

‘There’s a really strong group developing with our coach, John Lees,’ said Steph

Scotland in the International Relay Here’s the list of all the athletes who have raced for Scotland in the XC Relay event.

2015: Laura Muir, Ross Matheson, Josephine Moultrie, Grant Muir 2016: Cameron Boyek, Laura Muir, Jake Wightman, Steph Twell; Neil Gourley, Emily Dudgeon, Josh Kerr, Carys McAulay 2017: Jake Wightman, Mhairi Hendry, Neil Gourley, Jemma Reekie; Ben Greenwood, Steph Pennycook, Michael Ferguson, Philippa Millage 2018: Jamie Williamson, Steph Pennycook, Jake Wightman, Steph Twell; Sol Sweeney, Mhairi Hendry, Ben Potrykus, Philippa Millage

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6FRWWLVKathletics FOXE RIIHU If you use our services, we will give 15% of our final fee for any work undertaken by us back to your club.

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FPSG Seniors

Record-breakers!

#RECORD1 - HEATHER PATON

I

n the heat of the moment, living in the present, it can sometimes be difficult to put athletics events in their right historical context.

It was an issue some in the athletics community in Scotland may have wrestled with on the evening of January 28.

The FPSG Seniors and U17 Champs had drawn almost 600 entries to the Emirates Arena with a number of medals headed for England and Ireland via the ‘open championship’ policy.

But, when the dust settled, two prominent Scots had claimed superb Native and National Records and a third, Heather Paton, had equalled the National Record on her way to improving her own Native Record for the 60m Hurdles.

And there’s little doubt that, somewhere down the line in the years to come, we will look back on performances by Laura Muir over 800m and Zoey Clark over 200m as fully meriting the hype they generated.

No Scottish woman had ever run under two minutes indoors before. No woman in the world, we were told on Twitter (and we’ve no reason to disbelieve it) had ever beaten time barriers for 800m, 3000m and 5000m indoors of two minutes, 8.30 and 15 minutes.

Laura Muir did. And, in so doing, Mhairi

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#RECORD2 - ZOEY CLARK Hendry was helped on her way to the third best time indoors by a Scot as the gold medallist recorded 1.59.69 and the silver went to Hendry in 2.02.41. There was a Scottish Masters best for Philippa Millage in third.

‘When I was warming up for the 800m final, I heard it being announced that Zoey had broken the indoor Record for 200m – which was a great run by her,’ said Laura.

‘Then, in my race, there were PBs behind me in the race. And other good performances, too. Scots are performing so well whether it is in Scotland or elsewhere.

‘I hope even some of the younger athletes who were here for the U17 Champs are inspired by what they have seen and heard.

I think that’s really important for the sport.’

Clark had warmed up with Melanie Neef’s mark from 22 years earlier (23.62) run in the 200m heats and then blew the opposition away in the final - but she had Neef’s target from 22 years earlier firmly in mind.

‘I am absolutely thrilled with that time,’ said Zoey. ‘I knew I was in good shape and to break the Scottish indoor record at 200m is very pleasing.

‘I wasn’t tempting fate or feeling complacent, but I actually looked it up the other day and saw that Melanie Neef held the record at 23.62. I thought, with the shape I am in after Florida, that it might be

#RECORD3 -LAURA MUIR possible and I even held back a bit in the heat to try and save a bit more for the final.

‘It’s a great start to 2018 and gives me a lot of confidence for 400m runs to come and Gold Coast 2018 is definitely the priority.

The World Indoors isn’t really in the plans but I guess we will wait and see how things go at the British Champs.

‘I haven’t raced indoors for a while but it was good to compete in a Scottish final at the Emirates. Years ago one of the first bigger races I did was a Scottish age group race at the old Kelvin Hall.’

Heather Paton was in top form in the 60m Hurdles final – as she landed a new Native Record and equalled the National Record for indoors for the event that she already shares with Gemma Werrett.

Heather clocked 8.34 in a final which saw the other medals headed for Jade Nimmo and youngster Jade Henry.

‘I am delighted with that and it is always good to win the Scottish title with a good time,’ said Scotland international Heather.

‘I changed my approach to strength and conditioning not so long ago, working with a new coach on that near where I train in Birmingham. I can feel it making a difference already!

‘The strength is there so I was hoping it was just a question of converting that into a race.’

Gold Coast 2018 PB Preview

Flying the ag for Scotland

Vest Image by Bobby Gavin

scottishathletics

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Gold Coast 2018 PB Preview

S

ub-zero temperatures, thoughts turning towards Christmas and New Year celebrations and one of Scotland’s most prominent landmarks – the Wallace Monument – greeted a cohort of our top athletes for the Team Scotland selection announcement in mid-December.

how ‘the Friendly Games’ are just that; and how the ties that bind will help bolster Team Scotland in Australia.

Yet, somehow, those representing our Here are some of 25-strong track, field and marathon the sound-bites contingent managed to set their compass for from the selection Gold Coast 2018 in Australia in April. announcement: And on the issue of how to seek to deliver towering performances at the ‘wrong’ time of the season for a peak.

LYNSEY SHARP:

By Peter Jardine Photos by Jeff Holmes

Peak

‘The Commonwealths mean a lot to the Sharp family – with Or, in the case of Robbie Simpson, an my mum and 11-mile dawn run around the loch at the Stirling University campus helped him focus dad both having competed. I’d on preparing for his first Commonwealth never miss it. It Games. might not be the Andy Butchart and Steph Twell flew in most important directly from the Euro Cross in Slovakia globally, the while Team Scotland’s new kid on the block, Olympics Para athlete Amy Carr, was accompanied by or Worlds might well be seen as more her grandad, Jim Smith. The Motherwell AC important, but for me there’s family history runner is a Masters sprinter and took up the attached and a lot of memories and sport at the same time as Amy! emotions from Glasgow and I want to see if I can create some more.

For Lynsey Sharp, the family connection with Team Scotland at the Commonwealths ‘I spoke to my coach, Terrence (Mahon), is strong, likewise Eilish McColgan. and we decided that to try and aim for three big events – the World Indoors, the For Eilidh Doyle, after silver medals in Delhi Commonwealths and the Europeans – in and Glasgow, will it be third time lucky in the same year might be too much to ask. So Gold Coast 2018? instead of the World Indoors in Birmingham, the main focus at that time will be about For Steph Twell it is a third Games selection preparing to try and peak at Gold Coast in after vastly different experiences in Delhi April.’ and then Hampden, with the 5000m runner now being coached by Geoff Wightman, EILIDH DOYLE: father of team-mate Jake.

Maybe it was posing for photographs on a surf board on an icy surface which made it easier for the likes of Mark Dry.

Scots hope to be monu

Running through all the athletes in attendance that day were some common themes: a desire to perform when it counts;

‘Probably, realistically, this will be my last Commonwealth Games. I don’t know if I will be coming to this four years from now although I do still have the next Olympics as a target. I just take every year as it comes.

At the moment, I am just loving my training, loving my sport and I still feel I can run faster. So there’s not any chance of slowing down (my life) any time soon.

‘It still gives me a buzz. To be around each other and see each other again you can feel the excitement, especially the newer ones who are experiencing it for the first time.

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‘It is going to be different to Glasgow because that was such a special games and for me it was such an amazing experience to be able to win a medal and do a lap of honour in front of that home support.

‘They do call them the ‘Friendly Games’ for a reason, it is always great fun and it is nice for us as well because it is our only chance to compete as Team Scotland so, yes, it will be different but just as exciting as the other two.’

ROBBIE SIMPSON: ‘I have always loved racing on the mountains and I still do. But I have put a few years into that. I was 24 when I started thinking that I still had time to try and do marathon for the Commonwealths – but I couldn’t wait any longer. So I have made the transition and thankfully it worked out quite well.

‘Callum Hawkins will be there beside me on

What They Said

e c i t c Pra

‘People were amazed I made it to Rio because they told me I was finished when I had surgery.

I didn’t accept that and fought back. If I am fit and healthy then anything can happen.’

that start line.

‘The Commonwealths are special for me.

I think the bonds that we have on the team are stronger, we go through the same experiences together, and I think the Commonwealths are just so exciting. It’s your home nation you are competing for and it’s just that strength of knowing you’re there, up for medals.’

STEPH TWELL:

umental in Australia the start-line – well, on the start-line, yes!

He gives me a bit of belief, though, because obviously Callum didn’t start out as good as he now – he has had to work at it. So I am trying to do some of that work and I’m confident I can run well in Australia.’

‘I think the team atmosphere, the morale, the quality and the depth we have as a team going out to Australia is something really special.

It’s definitely a very experienced team which knows that, when we’re together, we can really deliver.

Just knowing how to conduct ourselves at an away games will mean we’ll really bounce off each other and will really push each other’s performances on.

‘I think this competition is going to take a bit of special preparation. We all have to go out to acclimatise and that’s not going to be easy and I’m sure there will be a few challenges to get used to the jet lag and the temperature and everything but I think we’ll have the experience which can take us through to make sure we’ll all be ready on

NIKKI MANSON ‘I was delighted to get a late call-up in February ‘I found it hard to take in December when the team was named and I wasn’t named there with the others. It was definitely a low point but I still felt, although I’d had a good 2017, I’d had some injuries and hadn’t reached my potential.

‘That made me want to keep going and do an indoor season, which I enjoy. I wanted to go on and give it my best shot for another year and that year is 2018.

‘So far already it has gone well, with the 1.87m jump, and then I was told about the Gold Coast 2018 selection late – before we made a late decision to compete in the Scottish Unis. Then I cleared 1.90m for a National and Native Record!

‘It was quite a few days and the selection only really began to sink in once I attended a Team Scotland media day and been in the photos and that kind of thing.

MARK DRY: ‘I can’t believe this will be my third Commonwealth Games. I am very happy indeed to have made it again for Team Scotland but I think it will be a lot tougher to medal but I just want to be going there in the best shape I can be at that time.

‘I was at 1.81m less than two years ago when I went out to Akron for a Masters and an athletics scholarship. If I am honest, I went to get that standards for the Games. I was almost a full-time athlete out there and I am almost again now, really. I work parttime in a cafe but a lot of the focus now is on athletics.’

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Gold Coast 2018 PB Preview

Chris Bennett

C

hris Bennett grew up watching his beloved Celtic win trophies at Hampden and, in the countdown to Glasgow 2014, he started to believe he would have his own podium moment at the national stadium.

His Team Scotland team-mate, Mark Dry, duly did collect Commonwealth Games bronze but for the Glaswegian his first Games experience was to be bitter-sweet – and more of the former than the latter.

Chris did make the hammer final despite struggling to cope with the expectation and atmosphere but then finished last when he felt he should have been a contender.

As the 28-year-old now prepares for Gold Coast 2018, he looks back on Glasgow 2014 as ‘best and worst experience of my life’.

Making amends ‘You need to go through the processes and if you do everything that you can and do it right on the day, then it goes how you want it,’ Bennett added.

happy to finish sixth or seventh.

‘But, in the end, the comp for me was terrible.’

‘Because Glasgow went so bad for me, it is fuel to the fire. It keeps me going through the winter so that it won’t happen again.

The Shettleston Harriers athlete was able to enjoy the “amazing” atmosphere at Glasgow 2014 but goes into the Gold Coast with a completely different mind-set, taking nothing for granted ahead of the competition starting.

‘You can’t teach experience and getting the experience through the Commonwealth Games, World Championships and Olympic Games, you then become better and better.’

‘It has pushed me on to bigger and better things so this time I am thinking there is a realistic chance I could do something, but I have to almost keep myself under wraps and not put pressure on myself.

‘I looked at it beforehand and thought ‘I could win this’ and before I got to the final I thought, ‘I’ve won the Commonwealth Games’,’ Bennett said.

‘I can’t wait to get out there. ‘I never wanted to feel again how I feel at the end of that competition at Glasgow 2014 – I was in floods of tears and I just didn’t know what had gone wrong.

‘I wanted to put myself back into the situations and back into that environment to better myself. It has pushed me on though - if Glasgow 2014 had gone well or even okay I’m not sure I would’ve done as well in the sport as I have done so it’s driven me on to bigger and better things.

‘This is not a word of a lie – there’s not been a day since Glasgow 2014 that I’ve not thought about Gold Coast.’

Bennett, who bounced back from his Hampden pain to represent GB and NI at the Europeans, Olympics and the World Champs, might have changed his preparations and approach over the years – but his targets for 2018 remain the same.

‘I want a medal,’ he said. ‘I am not going to lie. Any colour would do me.

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‘I would be doing myself an injustice if I went to the Gold Coast and said I would be

‘I want a medal but like I said, there are things I need to do before that.

* scottishathletics sponsors FPSG have stepped in to help Team Scotland hammer thrower Chris Bennett in his preparations for Gold Coast 2018 by giving him a part-time job.

It’s the first link-up of this kind between ourselves and the recruitment specialists in what all parties hope will be a fruitful partnership.

‘It was a huge change for me and at the start I found being in an office quite tough because it’s so alien to me,’ said Chris. ‘But the people I work with at FPSG are fantastic and while it can be hard trying to fit everything in, it is nice having a distraction and having something else to work towards.

So I’m really enjoying it.

‘It’s very strange working in office because I’m so used to being in sports clothes and I am in a shirt and tie. I am working helping update FPSG databases and making calls to some of their clients – John Agnew, the managing director,and other staff, have gone out of their way to make me feel welcome and I think it’s useful for me to get some work experience in a completely different sector for me.

‘I certainly feel it could work for other athletes, if there’s an opportunity there for them.’

Jake Wightman

Gold Coast 2018 PB Preview

Learning curve ampden memories will undoubtedly surface for a number of Scottish athletes as the Commonwealth Games circus turns towards Gold Coast 2018.

H

racing - but I thought I would be alright. I set off and had to stop 50m in because my hamstring was just cramping.

For the likes of Eilidh Doyle, Lynsey Sharp, Guy Learmonth and Mark Dry, the reflections are largely happy ones.

‘I was diagnosed with microtears, a Grade 2 strain. So I went to the Athletes Village, to get treatment every day.

But, for another group, what transpired at Glasgow 2014 has arguably been the catalyst for their hopes and dreams over these past three years or so.

Chris Bennett and Callum Hawkins, who didn’t have great experiences in the hammer and the 10,000m on the track respectively, certainly come into that category. Jake Wightman counts himself in that bracket, too. Hampden, as it happened, was by no means a theatre of dreams.

‘I didn’t do so well the last time round, at my first Commonwealths, in fact it was a bit of a nightmare,’ recalled Jake.

‘I went into it with a hamstring injury and that made it really difficult. I ran the Glasgow Grand Prix when the Diamond League came to Hampden a couple of weeks before Glasgow 2014 and that went really well.

‘My 1500m PB was 3.43 but in that meeting I ran 3.35. That was on the Saturday. I did a session on the Monday, and my hamstring went a little bit tight. On the Wednesday, I was headed for a BMC meet at Watford and a final run-out before the Games over 400m.

‘Come the heats, I hadn’t done a track session for three weeks. I went out racing with no nerves because I knew I was in rubbish shape and would struggle to get through. I don’t feel like I had a proper Commonwealth Games experience, because it wasn’t a very happy one.

‘When you have run your best and run a PB – like I did at Hampden in that Diamond League - you should always wind down, because that’s when you are most likely to snap, because you have never run that quick before.’

Nonetheless, it was put to Jake that by ‘coming through the fire’ of Glasgow 2014, at least he and others may be better prepared for Australia.

‘Being through the whole Games environment probably was helpful,’ he replied.

‘For me, it would have been gutting to look back on Glasgow and not even been there.

So I never regret going, I actually ran better than I thought I was going to. It was a big milestone, my first proper international multi-sport event.

‘On the way there with my dad, there was bad traffic. They had actually closed entries when we arrived and I had to beg for them ‘This time it is a shame that Josh isn’t in to let me in. They said ‘okay then’ but I didn’t really have any warm-up – we had 30 there to have three of us but you know that Chris is going to be firing by then. Distance minutes all in, from arriving and parking to running is probably the strongest it has been for a generation so there are going to be some opportunities to come away with some decent medals on the track I think.

‘Nick Willis is still running the 1500m, you don’t know what Kenyans they will pick, they are always going to be good, there will be Ryan Gregson of Australia and Luke Matthews. It is strong but it is not going to be a race where we are completely out of our depth race at all. Everyone is pretty close.’

What’s certain is that Wightman may need to improve on his championship performance after finishing third at the British Champs last summer and then losing out in the World Champs semis when a final place was his goal.

‘I think I need to correct this stuff on my back because on both occasion it was

Jake wins British indoor1500m title. Photo: Getty Images

champs that I didn’t fare as well as I had hoped,’ he said.

‘At the British Champs I had probably never been in that position with the standard going into the race, but others had it, too. It had never meant as much as that. So I was a bit too tense about it and I run my best races for sure when I am relaxed.

‘In London, I felt good in the heat, and going into that I was in the mindset where ‘you are not going out in the heat’. I was relaxed and almost took it for granted. But from watching Chris in the last few years, and seeing them going out in the semi-finals, I was probably over-thinking the semi.

‘I went into it so bothered about being in the right position, but I got a little knock in the race and then worked well hard to get back to where I was. And I was just left myself with nothing with about 200m to go. That was a terrible feeling because it was by far my biggest race of the season.

‘It didn’t reflect the shape I was in because I felt I was probably in my best shape of the year at the worlds – I just raced awfully.

“This year with the Commonwealth Games and the Europeans they are both pretty realistic medal chances I feel. So to get it right is pretty key, it is a wasted opportunity otherwise.

‘Now this year I am pretty confident I can get it right on that stage. The good thing about athletics is that there are always championships every year so if you are looking to come away with a medal there is always another go coming up soon. The Commonwealths, being able to represent Scotland.’

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Gold Coast 2018 PB Preview

Chris Baillie

Local rivalry helped Chris land Melbourne medal

By Stewart Weir

L

ocal rivalry, and the simple ambition of being the best your country has to offer in a particular discipline or sport, can often lead to great things.

Connoisseurs of sport would be able to point to examples of that in football, or in boxing gyms and snooker halls across the country, where striving to beat your closest challengers – in a geographical sense – often carries a sport or individuals to another level.

Indeed, in Scottish athletics currently, middle-distance running has seldom, if ever, been stronger and it looks almost entirely due to runners being pushed domestically, first and foremost. Think Chris O’Hare-Jake Wightman-Josh Kerr and Callum HawkinsAndy Butchart as male examples.

It is certainly a theory Chris Baillie subscribes to. For he can point to a Commonwealth Games silver medal as the end product of some parochial pressure.

‘As a youngster, I was very fortunate to train with Colin Jackson and work with Malcolm Arnold as well,’ recalled Chris, silver medallist in the 110m hurdles in Melbourne in 2006.

‘But when I was coming through, and running at the top level, it was probably the best Scotland had been in terms of high hurdlers. There was me, my brother Ross had set records and given us something to gauge ourselves against, and Allan Scott – who also went to those Commonwealth Games in Melbourne in 2006 - was a training partner.

‘So that level of competition drove you

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on. Being the best or fastest in Scotland meant something when there were two or three of you all striving for the same goals. And you bounce off one another. It drags you forward, because you don’t want to be left behind the guys you are competing with, let alone training with on a daily basis.’

While those daily challenges helped, so to did natural talent, and the progression of both led to Chris, then 24 years old, claiming his biggest prize as an athlete – running for Scotland in Australia.

‘I’d been going abroad representing Scotland and GB since I was a kid – European Juniors in Latvia, World Juniors in Santiago, European U-23s in Amsterdam and Poland - but not for Commonwealth Games and you couldn’t really call Manchester in 2002 abroad anyway. Not when you could go on the bus!

athletics wasn’t the only thing in his life.

‘Going to Australia was still a bit of an adventure. I had been before, in 2000 to do some training for a couple of weeks, while I was still a junior. So, I knew what to expect and it was a decent place to be heading back to.’

‘Sometimes you are just consumed by training, running and competitions; in other words athletics, athletics, athletics. Sitting in a bank, working as a teller for a year, organising your day around work, and fitting in training accordingly, was no bad thing when I look back.’

Interestingly, in the lead-up to those Games,

‘As a junior, and since leaving school, I’d been a full-time athlete. But in 2005, I had to work in a bank, three days a week. It was a bit of an eye-opener, having a real job. But it stopped me from being too focused on athletics, if that sounds right.

Chris Baillie

Gold Coast 2018 PB Preview Games or any big championship.

‘But unless you get to the final, you’ll never realise any of those things.

‘I’d run well in 2005, making the qualifying standard so I was definitely going. And once I’d arrived in Australia, I began running really well and really fast. My intentions didn’t change; make the final.

After that, then you have one race when anything can happen.

‘I was trying to keep the pressure off myself.

But the expectations around me changed.

‘You are trying to run as fast as you can. But you have ten hurdles trying their best to stop you.

Maintaining his dedication to the sport, and form, put himself in the mix for a medal in Melbourne; not that he ever thought too much about it. All along, his ambitions remained very simple.

‘We went very early to Melbourne, I think it was nearly eight weeks before I was due to race. I don’t think they were taking any chances with the jet lag. We were nearly

me a medal. I know that will sound very simplistic, but there wasn’t any reason to overcomplicate things.

‘I hadn’t been beaten out there, so there wasn’t anything to fear. The one guy who I honestly thought might beat me was Maurice Wignall of Jamaica. He’d been fourth in the Olympics in Athens and came straight from performing well in the World Indoors.

‘He was a level above me, and everyone else, and so it proved on the day. In the end he beat me by three/tenths of a second. But I’d blocked him out; I never looked at him, I ran my race and that took me to a silver medal. I couldn’t have been happier.’

While the Commonwealth Games will be staged on the Gold Coast this time around, Chris believes the spectacle will still attract a major audience in these parts.

‘I think the Commonwealth Games has always been very big in the country,’ he added.

‘It is the ultimate championship for a lot of sports if you are looking to represent Scotland. I think that has always been an attraction.

‘Anything that takes away your focus, like trying too hard, like looking at those around you, not concentrating on your technique, things can ‘This time, I think there will be those go wrong quite quickly. It helped that I was watching because of what we witnessed in going there, and was there, with experience Glasgow, because they’ll recognise so many of a Commonwealth Games final behind me. of the athletes and competitors from four years ago, and to see if we can match the ‘I enjoyed the day and the occasion more levels of success.

‘Four years on from Manchester, I just wanted to get to the final again.

You can have all the dreams and ambitions about getting a medal when going to the Commonwealth Games, or any big championship.

But unless you get to the final, you’ll never realise any of those things.’

Chris Baillie ‘Glasgow 2014 put a big spotlight on to the Games. The number of athletes we now have, performing at the very highest level, will keep people interested.’

locals by the time it came time to run,’ joked Chris, who remained loyal to his club Victoria Park, while performing for Birchfield Harriers in the British League.

than I did in Manchester, and that calmed me down, from what I can remember. I didn’t have the adrenalin pumping, I ignored the crowd. I was quite chilled.

‘I simply wanted to reach the final. It’s interesting the motivation that people have ahead of major meetings. But four years on from Manchester, I just wanted to get to the final again. You can have all the dreams, and aspirations, and ambitions about getting a medal going to the Commonwealth

‘If my aims had been simple – get to the Hopefully those in the Carrara Stadium will final – they were even less complicated once remain as focussed and single-minded as I was in the final. I was going to run the Chris Baillie did a dozen years ago. best I could. If I did that, and executed well, it would get me a decent time.

‘If I got a decent time, then it might bring

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Gold Coast 2018 PB Preview

Team Photos

Chris BENNETT

Mark DRY

Callum HAWKINS

Guy LEARMONTH

Hammer

Hammer

Marathon

800m

Age: 28 (17/12/1989) Club: Shaftesbury Barnet / Shettleston Coach: Mick Jones Commonwealth Games representation: 2014, 2018

Age: 30 (11/10/1987) Club: Woodford Green / Loughborough / San Jose Coach: Self-coached Commonwealth Games representation: 2010, 2014, 2018

Age: 25 (22/06/1992) Club: Kilbarchan Coach: Robert Hawkins Commonwealth Games representation: 2014, 2018

Age: 25 (20/04/1992) Club: Lasswade AAC Coach: Henry Gray Commonwealth Games representation: 2014, 2018

Meet our Team Scotland at Chris O’HARE

Robbie SIMPSON

Allan SMITH

David SMITH

1500m

Marathon

High Jump

High Jump

Age: 27 (23/11/1990) Club: Edinburgh Athletic Club Coach: Terrence Mahon Commonwealth Games representation: 2008 Youth Games, 2014, 2018

Age: 26 (14/11/1991) Club: Deeside Runners Coach: Self-coached Commonwealth Games representation: 2018

Age: 25 (06/11/1992) Club: Shaftesbury Barnet Coach: Bryan Roy Commonwealth Games representation: 2018

Age: 26 (14/07/1991) Club: Shaftesbury Barnet / Giffnock North Coach: Paul Harrison Personal Best: 2.26m Commonwealth Games representation: 2014, 2018

Jake WIGHTMAN

Amy CARR

Zoey CLARK

Eilidh DOYLE

800m, 1500m

T37/38 Long Jump

400m, 4x400m Relay

400m Hurdles, 4x400m Relay

Age: 18 (22.05.99) Club: Middlesbrough (Mandale) Coach: Geoffrey Barraclough Commonwealth Games representation: 2018

Age: 23 (25.10.94) Club: Aberdeen AC / Thames Valley Harriers Coach: Eddie McKenna Commonwealth Games representation: 2011 Youth Games, 2014, 2018

Age: 31 (20/02/1987) Club: Pitreavie Coach: Brian Doyle Commonwealth Games representation: 2010, 2014, 2018

Age: 23 (11/07/1994) Club: Edinburgh AC / Loughborough Coach: Geoff Wightman Commonwealth Games representation: 2014, 2018

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Gold Coast 2018 PB Preview

Team Photos

Sammi KINGHORN

Maria LYLE

Holly MCARTHUR

Kirsten MCASLAN

T54 1500m, T54 Marathon

T35 100m

Heptathlon

4x 400m Relay

Age: 22 (06/01/1996) Club: Red Star AC Coach: Ian Mirfin Commonwealth Games representation: 2014, 2018

Age: 18 (14/02/2000) Club: Team East Lothian Coach: Jamie Bowie Commonwealth Games representation: 2018

Age: 18 (20/12/1999) Club: Edinburgh AC / Whitemoss Coach: Iain McEwan Commonwealth Games representation: 2018

Age: 25 (01/09/1993) Club: Sale Harriers Manchester Coach: Michael Baker Commonwealth Games representation: 2014, 2018

thletes for Gold Coast 2018 Eilish MCCOLGAN

Beth POTTER

Lynsey SHARP

Kelsey STEWART

5000m

10,000m, Triathlon

800m, 4 x 400m Relay

4x400m Relay

Age: 27 (25/11/1990) Club: Dundee Hawkhill Coach: Liz McColgan Commonwealth Games representation: 2008 Youth Games, 2014, 2018

Age: 26 (27/12/1991) Club: VP-Glasgow Coach: Mick Woods Commonwealth Games representation: 2008 Youth Games, 2014, 2018

Age: 27 (11/07/1990) Club: Edinburgh AC Coach: Terrence Mahon Commonwealth Games representation: 2008 Youth Games, 2014, 2018

Age: 21 (12.02.97 ) Club: Aberdeen AAC / Banchory Stonehaven Coach: Ken Hogg & Joyce Hogg Commonwealth Games representation: 2018

Steph TWELL

Lennie WAITE

Nikki MANSON

1500m, 5000m

3000m Steeplechase

High Jump

MISSING OUT There was Commonwealth Games heart-break in early February as it was confirmed four selected athletes had been forced to withdraw through injury.

Age: 28 (17/08/1989) Club: Aldershot, Farnham & District Coach: Geoff Wightman Commonwealth Games representation: 2010, 2014, 2018

Age: 32 (04/02/1986) Club: East Kilbride Coach: Jim Bevan Commonwealth Games representation: 2010, 2014, 2018

Age: 23 (15.10.94) Club: Giffnock North AC Coach: Ken Allan Commonwealth Games representation: 2018

*EMMA NUTTALL High Jump Edinburgh *JAX THOIRS Pole Vault VP-Glasgow *ANDY BUTCHART 5000m Central AC *RACHEL HUNTER Hammer North Ayrshire AC

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Gold Coast 2018 PB Preview

Lee McConnell

How Lee McConnell’s hurdles gamble paid off . . .

My Melbourne medal moment T

he 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne will always be dear to Lee McConnell. Not because they were her favourite ‘Commies,’ but because the one-lap specialist overcame a few obstacles – quite literally – to gain a much-cherished prize. For, after those Games, Lee could add ‘medal-winning hurdler’ to her CV. And a few weeks out from the class of 2018 heading Down Under, the former Shaftesbury Barnet runner – and now mother of two young boys – reflected on her big adventure to Oz a dozen years ago.

‘I suppose this time around is quite similar to what we faced back in 2006,’ admitted Lee in a special interview for PB magazine.

‘It is so early in the year – compared to what we would describe as being your normal outdoor season – and, back then, that definitely threw up a few issues in terms of preparations and getting track time ahead of such a major championship.

‘There were, and there will be, a few problems for the athletes. But nothing too difficult.’

The 400m hurdles bronze medallist in Melbourne, Lee recalled: ‘The year before

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How Lee McConnell’s hurdles gamble paid off...

the Commonwealth Games was my first over 400 hurdles, so it was all new to me. I’d failed to make the GB World Championship team in that event, but still qualified for the team in the 400m and won a bronze in the relay.

‘A month or so before the Games, when we arrived, no-one was there. It wasn’t open. We had to get shifted in to other accommodation with a couple of the Scottish Athletics coaches who’d been sent out to look after us.

‘I had the qualification standard for Melbourne in both events, from the previous year, but we weren’t absolutely 100% sure what I was going to do.

‘While we were training, I only had a couple of races over hurdles. I’ll admit, none of them were particularly great. And that’s putting it mildly!

‘In terms of preparations and training, you had a choice to make, dating back to the previous year. After the 2005 season, and deciding to do the 400 hurdles, there was no point, in my mind, about doing the indoor season. There was nothing to be achieved really. I wasn’t going to be hurdling and I really needed to be doing that.’

‘To be honest, I was running really well – just not when it came to hurdles. The temptation would have been to concentrate on 400 flat, but I really wanted to do the hurdles so stuck with it.

A lot of hurdling is about calculation. But Lee was also calculating when it came to making the final call on what event to pursue.

‘A group of us went out to Australia a good five weeks ahead of the Games, and this was to give us as long a period to prepare as possible. I’d been training in Glasgow, but then we flew out and set up in Bendigo where the Scotland team would have their holding camp.

‘There was also the matter of who I’d be up against over 400m; there were some

Lee McConnell

‘

Gold Coast 2018 PB Preview

I would have loved to compete in Glasgow 2014. After my son Ethan was born in the October (2013), I just didn’t leave enough time to qualify. But that was great because I got to sit back and see what, as an athlete, you miss. And when people won medals I was able to think ‘I did that once or twice’

’

talented Jamaicans; Christine Ohuruogu would be there, as would the Olympic champion from Athens, Tonique WilliamsDarling who was representing the Bahamas.

They did win gold and silver eventually.

likes – was what I had to really concentrate on. And it paid off.’

Lee took bronze, producing another PB in the final, taking four-tenths of her previous best, set in qualifying.

wasn’t Lee’s favourite championship.

‘I would have loved to compete in Glasgow 2014, but after my son Ethan was born in the October, I just didn’t leave enough time to qualify. But that was great because I got to sit back and see what, as an athlete, you miss.

‘Even making the final, and there was no guarantee I’d do that, getting on the podium would be tough. I knew getting a medal at 400m hurdles was something I was capable of, if I put it together. But, above all else, having made the switch in the first place to do the hurdles, I was absolutely determined to do that.

‘It worked out how I’d expected, in the end. Natasha Danvers won silver, but the reality was that three or four of us were all in contention for a medal of some colour, because the gold would always be going to Jana Pittman, providing she stayed fit and didn’t fall over.

‘After winning silver in Manchester, I wasn’t sure I could improve on that. Did I want two silvers, at best, or to prove myself in another event. And, if I managed to get a medal, it was always going to mean more to me, because I’d taken that big step to concentrate on hurdles.

‘Those Games came a year ahead of her winning a second world title. She was the poster girl for Melbourne and an absolute runaway favourite (she eventually won the final by 1.35 secs). So, my planning, and how I’d visualised everything, came good in the end.

‘Was it a gamble? A wee bit.

‘The funny thing is that as an athlete you don’t think about or dwell on the medal.

Okay, I’ve got it, great. But you just want to ‘We weren’t used to that in Glasgow. I think get back, get training, keep the focus and we stuck out a wee bit being so white . . .’ momentum going, and get ready for the next season and whatever major championship

By Stewart Weir is coming along. In some ways you never really appreciate what you’ve done.’

‘Thankfully, in Melbourne, I managed to stick a couple of races together; first, coming through the heats to qualify, and then in the final. And when I say stuck, I mean stuck!

‘My flat speed was good, getting the hurdles right – technique, stride pattern and the

While special in its own way, Melbourne

‘And, when I saw people getting medals, there was a satisfaction knowing I did that once or twice.

‘Manchester was my favourite for a number of reasons; it was my first, it was so close to home and it meant that you’d have family and friends there. Even the spectators, although we were racing for Scotland, they were very supportive. But none of those things applied really in Melbourne, ‘I still enjoyed Melbourne and Australia. It was just so nice to get the sun for all that time.

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Maria Lyle

By Stewart Fisher ‘I’m just focusing on myself,’ said Lyle. ‘I don’t care about the others. I’ll be out to do my best performance and if I run to the best of my ability, that’s all I care about.

‘The crowd won’t bother me. I had that in London. It’s about focusing on yourself not worrying about other people or getting bothered about it.’

As impressive as her results have been to date, there might just be more to come from Lyle, especially as she approaches skeletal and muscular maturity.

‘It is hard, especially growing,’ she said.

Photo by Jeff Holmes

S

cotland was calling Maria Lyle back home.

After an unhappy stint at Oaklands College in St Albans as part of their athletics programme, this prodigious 18-year-old Para sprinter is happy to be back home, combining her running with being what she calls ‘your average Scottish lassie with dodgy legs’.

‘ I thought ‘I need more to my life than just athletics - I want a balance and a break because it drives you crazy’. You miss out on stuff that other teenagers experience.

‘Being back, I’m a lot happier and hopefully that will translate into better performances.

I was quite homesick actually. I didn’t realise how tough it would be, leaving your family for months.

If that means trying to prepare for this April’s Commonwealth Games in the Gold Coast in the knowledge that her Higher exams are just around the corner, then so be it. At least she has a smile on her face.

‘I’ve got exams straight after Commonwealths. It will be a bit tough having to revise out there. I’m not sure how much I’ll get done. But it’s too good an opportunity not to go.’

‘Being down south didn’t work out,’ said Maria.

For Lyle, who suffers from diplegic cerebral palsy, growth spurts and growing pains are just one part of the equation.

Just 14 when the last Commonwealth Games came round in Glasgow in 2014, Lyle had to settle for a watching brief.

But in August of that year, just after those Commonwealth Games drew to a close, she made her breakthrough, bringing back 100m and 200m gold in the T35 events from the IPC European Athletics Championships in Swansea.

‘I’m glad I went but now I know what’s right for me. I was purely down there to train but I needed more of a balance. So going back into sixth year at school has been good for me.

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‘With CP, your muscles don’t grow at the same rate so your muscles and your technique and your running drop as you have a growth spurt. It’s just about being patient.

‘My coach now is Jamie Bowie and he’s very understanding. We have worked on methods to work through it and use my CP to the best of my ability. It’s tough but you don’t grow forever. I’ll be fine eventually.

‘With Para athletes, people forget you’re still developing because you’re integrated with adults quite early on. But I do have a lot of growth and development ahead and hopefully when I’m all grown up, I’ll be quite good.

‘I was watching at home during Glasgow 2014. I was 14 and I didn’t manage to get tickets but I was watching on TV all the time. I was training for the Europeans at that time but it’s good for the public to have opportunities to watch athletics. It does inspire you.

‘We had good performances from Scotland all round. Libby Clegg wining the gold was good. Having Usain Bolt making the relay appearance. And it will be good in the Gold Coast to see all these athletes performing well again.

Fast forward four years and she has a total of eight Paralympic and world medals in her collection, including a gold in the 4 x 100m relay from the World Championships in Doha in 2015.

‘I’ve had so many positive experiences and opportunities through athletics - I wouldn’t be going to Australia if not for athletics. You meet so many new people and get to go to amazing places.

While it would be nice to add a Commonwealth medal to that collection this April, it is worth remembering that her competition will include home favourite, Isis Holt of Australia. Still only 16, that medal collection would look even better had Holt not beaten Maria home in almost every one of those individual events.

‘Even just having CP, it does help being active. It helps your muscle tone and generally has a positive in your life. I’m lucky. Not everyone does have events in the Gold Coast. But I can’t wait to go.’ *A version of this article first appeared in The Herald.

Amy Carr

Gold Coast 2018 PB Preview Header

By Susan Egelstaff

I

t is something of a surprise revelation from Amy Carr that her occasional training partner is someone almost 55 years her senior.

The 18 year-old T37 long-jumper and sprinter is one of the best Para athletes in Britain and, while she would be a match for any of her peers across the world, she reveals that her 73 year-old grand-father Jim Smith is becoming increasingly annoyed that he cannot beat her in a sprint.

When Amy announced that she wanted to try athletics, Jim decided that he would, too. Despite not having been involved in athletics since his school days.

And as Amy began collecting medals, so has he.

‘He’s a bit of a mad grand-father,’ laughs Amy, with Jim a well-kent face at Motherwell AC. ‘He does the Masters in Scotland and he’s gone to the Europeans as well so he has done pretty well. He went through a point doing loads of events – he’s a sprinter now but he wanted to do hurdles at one point.

‘It’s really nice to have something in common and obviously to do it together it’s great and I think it’s really good as well the fact that he’s not letting his age affect his training and stuff like that.

‘I think it is a really positive thing although I do think, both me and all his friends, that he is mad wanting to do hurdles. I told him not to do that, I thought it was too dangerous. But I think it is a really positive thing and he’s a huge inspiration to me.’

Just a few months ago, Carr, who has cerebral palsy, was selected for the 25 strong track-and-field team that will compete in the 2018 Commonwealth Games.

It is by no means certain her grand-father will be there to cheer her own, though.

‘My mum and dad will be coming to Australia to support me,’ the teenager said.

‘And I hope my grand-father will be coming too but I think there is a big Masters event which potentially clashes so he might have to miss it.’

Carr’s selection for Team Scotland capped

off a spectacular year for the Teesside-based athlete, who qualifies to represent Scotland through her father.

Last summer, she won an incredible hattrick of medals at the IPC World Junior Championships, taking gold in both the long-jump and the 200m as well as bronze in the 100m.

The Commonwealth Games will be her first Senior championship and while that would be a daunting prospect for some, Carr is up for the challenge.

‘At the time of selection, everything felt a bit crazy but I’ll be well prepared for the Games,’ she said. ‘I had to work really hard to get into the Seniors so to be selected for

Team Scotland is just amazing. Moving into Seniors it is going to be a really big change but I’m just going to take everything as it comes and just enjoy it.’

Disability sport has enjoyed something of a transformation in the past few years, with it more mainstream than it has ever been before.

Carr has timed her emergence to perfection, ensuring that she gets to ride this wave of popularity but when she was initially inspired to get into athletics, she could never have believed where her journey would take her.

‘It was the London 2012 Olympics and Paralympics that inspired me, seeing other disabled athletes compete. It showed me that I had a chance of competing with other people with my classification.

‘That was a real turning point watching that. I didn’t know what would happen, I had no idea, I just wanted to compete against people with my own disability.

Obviously I had a dream to compete with those on TV but I didn’t really look into it that much and then now I’m here it’s crazy.

It has been a crazy journey.’

With family for company along the way. *This article first appeared in the Sunday Herald

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Iain McEwan

The coach: Iain McEwan When Holly McArthur’s selection for Team Scotland was confirmed in December, the teenager became the first heptathlete pick for some 20 years.

on patient hard work paying off.

It immediately lifted the Combined Events community in Scotland and reflected well

a special Q and A about all things multi-

Q: How pleased are you with Holly’s development

An insecure athlete looking on can easily be intimidated and can lose focus on her own preparation. But hurdles is a good event for Holly and she knows that she only needs to keep things simple and stick to her routine to perform well.

over the past 18 months or so?

A: I’m naturally delighted; firstly for Holly,

but also for her training partners, parents, myself, and other coaches involved in her development. She’s obviously loving her sport and that’s great for a coach to see.

Q: Believe you have already said that she is an

athlete who is way ahead of schedule – how has that happened?

A: I wish there was one easy answer to that question, but there are many small pieces of the jigsaw and some of those pieces are hard to define. I’ve picked out two aspects though, which are partly responsible for her accelerated progress this year.

Firstly, I feel that in 2017 Holly subconsciously entered into much more of a partnership with me than in earlier years.

That’s just been a natural progression from young teenager, to adult years. Holly now gives me much more feedback, from training and competitions. That lets me understand her better and I can give a better coaching product as a result.

The second thing is easy to spot if you were to watch one of our training sessions.

There’s a massive work ethic from Holly; from warm up to cool down! For the most part, I’m of the view that you get out what you put in. So I’m not surprised to see Holly’s commitment; quiet self belief and determination paying off in 2017.

PB duly spoke to the Holly’s coach, Iain McEwan, and the 18-year-old herself in events and Gold Coast 2018 . . .

She manages to control the apprehensions that so many athletes have at that time and somehow she converts it into a controllable and positive energy. Getting that first event nailed in a positive way is crucial as it sets up the rest of the competition.

Yes, it’s fair to say that the mental side is one of her strengths.

Q: From the outside, it certainly looks as if there is something stirring in Combined Events in Scotland; what is your view from the inside?

A: Success breeds success! Endurance athletes and other events have shown that in recent years. Once one athlete starts to show what’s possible, there tends to be a queue of people trying to emulate that lead athlete and go one step further. And Combined Events is no different.

In recent years we’ve had a few Scots nudging the event forward. Emma Canning and Tom Chandler have been winning English titles or gaining GB vests but have had injury setbacks. Fortunately, they look to be coming back strongly and will add to a very competitive pool of Scots in 2018.

10 events (Decathlon) is much harder than training for one.

It’s physically and mentally demanding and very time-consuming. However, there are ways of bringing together some of the commonalities across disciplines and maximising the use of training time. That said, the athletes really enjoy the variety.

Q: In terms of clubs and coaches, there’s no doubt Combined Events presents a challenge. How do you manage to adjust when trying to coach technical events on a freezing winter’s night at East Kilbride?

A: Lol. It’s certainly a challenge to do high jump, hurdles, throws, etc in horizontal hail-stones, so it’s rare for us to do much event-specific work on a winter night in EK. We save that for indoor sessions.

It’s more about running work outdoors in the winter and that’s when the strength comes into its own. It’s about getting the hard work done and they draw strength from each other.

When any one individual from the group achieves success, we can directly trace that back to the support and encouragement of their training buddies.

Q: What are your hopes for 2018 – both in terms of Holly at Gold Coast 2018 and in a wider context in terms of your own training group and CE in Scotland?

Looking through all age groups, I see many athletes showing good promise. There are A: The Gold Coast will be Holly’s first senior Scottish vest. That’s how inexperienced she also a number of event-specifi c athletes who Q: The performance of seven PBs in seven events at are switching across to test themselves in is at this level, so there will be no ridiculous the European Juniors in Italy last summer really was Combined Events. That’s all great for the targets from me. quite outstanding. Did that maybe tell us something development of CE in Scotland. about Holly’s mental strength as well as, clearly, it It is all about gaining experience and demonstrates an ability to perform when it counts.

Q: Hopefully the likes of Holly, Howard Bell, Andrew returning home with a big smile, having had Murphy, Joel McFarlane, Emma and Tom landing an enjoyable and informative experience.

A: Mental strength and performing when GB and NI vests will prove inspirational – but is the The points total will take care of itself. Don’t it counts are parts of the same jigsaw, I bottom line that there are no short-cuts, arguably mentioned earlier. get me wrong: anyone who knows Holly, even more so in CE than in individual events? knows she’ll give 100% effort, but bringing A good example of Holly’s mental strength home numerous learning points and sharing That’s very true.

I’d encourage A: comes through in the Heptathlon hurdles. It’s them with her training partners, is the the first event and athletes can be very nervy. young athletes to try all events, in their principal aim and it can only make Holly participation and development years and Some athletes try to ‘boss’ the warm-up area and CE in Scotland stronger. training for CE is a great way of doing that. and can look really confident and in great But, when the decision is made to specialise shape. It’s difficult not to be aware of them.

For my group, and wider CE in Scotland, I’d in CE, athletes should understand that it’s not an easy option! It’s stating the obvious; just like to see the standard of our athlete PB 2018 | ISSUE 1 but training for seven events (Heptathlon) or performances continue to improve.

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Holly McArthur

Gold Coast 2018 PB Preview Header

The athlete: Holly McArthur introduced me to his group and combined events. I was only 12 years old then.

Q: Did you do other sports as a youngster (say, primary school age)? Dancing or gymnastics or whatever?

A: I was always very active, participating

in several different sports. However, I’d say the sport which I took the most seriously was cheerleading and dancing.

I loved tumbling, learning new skills with my cheer team, and the fun of competing at competitions. As I got older I realised I couldn’t do both cheerleading and athletics so had to decide between the two.

Q: Did Jessica Ennis-Hill winning gold at London Q: Congratulations on your selection for Team

Scotland. How exciting is it be headed for your first Commonwealth Games at the age of 18?

A: Thanks very much. I’m really excited to be going to the Commonwealth Games and can’t wait to make the most of it all. It’s still strange to think that I was in the crowd at Hampden during Glasgow 2014 cheering on Team Scotland with my family, but this time round I’ll be the one competing.

2012 have any influence on you at that time or since then?

A: It was in 2012 when I joined up with Iain, and so combined events was all fairly new to me. I remember watching the London Olympics on the TV and got attached to the heptathlon competition as I enjoyed getting familiar with all the

Q: It is a very strong selection given the quality of

Scottish athletes at the moment – how proud are you to be part of that group?

A: It is a great honour to be part of the strong team headed out to the Gold Coast.

With the majority of the team competing at Glasgow 2014, it’s cool to think that I will be part of this team and I know that I will learn a lot from such top experienced athletes.

Is your own belief growing through what’s been happening recently? And what might you say to those in their mid-teens in our sport to encourage them to remain in the sport?

A: Yes definitely, it’s encouraging to see so many Scottish athletes hitting the headlines and getting GB vests around my own age group never mind our top athletes performing on the world stage.

Seeing the success of Scottish athletes is inspiring and really drives me on in hard sessions knowing that everything will be worth it as the opportunities and rewards out there are very clear.

Being selected for the Commonwealth Games has really made me realise that you just don’t know what’s round the corner.

When I was sitting in Hampden back in 2014 as a 14 year old I had no idea that there would be a chance to compete at the next games. I’ve learned a lot by putting myself in a competitive environment and obviously still do. I’d encourage younger athletes to get along to more competitions.

If you don’t try, you’ll never know.

the GB and NI team in Grosseto and we see a lot of support for each other on social media. Do you think what we would love to call a #SALTogether factor can help athletes progress when maybe they are based in Scotland, down south or even in America?

you feel that Combined Events might be right for you?

primary school cross country then going along to an after school athletics club. At the beginning, I mainly ran but after being entered for all different events at league matches, I decided that I preferred the variety of events that athletics had to offer and not just the running. I remember seeing my now training partner in the newspaper as he had jumped a record in the high jump. After contacting his coach, Iain, I had a session with him and it was Iain who

18 that you are a ‘role model’ yourself. But a number of Scottish athletes have been saying for a couple of years now that seeing others raised/trained and competing in a similar background/ environment – like Laura Muir and Callum Hawkins – has helped in some way to motivate them.

Q: At the European Juniors, there were six Scots with

Q: How did you first get into athletics; and when did A: I first got into athletics by competing at

Q: It’s probably too much and unfair to suggest at

heptathlete’s faces as they competed over the several events. Jessica Ennis-Hill was the stand out athlete for me because she just looked really strong mentally and physically. In the world of combined events Jess wasn’t the tallest but that didn’t faze her, she was always determined. I find myself in a similar position, usually being the smallest athlete in the field, in major competitions. But I just focus on my own performance and I’m not intimidated by the physiques of others.

A: Through the age groups I’ve got to know lots of Scottish athletes some of whom are now based in England and overseas so the #SALTogether definitely keeps that bond in place and helps us all to keep pushing and working hard. I experienced that in Grosseto, travelling and room sharing with familiar Scottish athletes was great and we supported each other out there. scottishathletics

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Gold Coast 2018 PB Preview

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odger Harkins has been to Australia before on Commonwealth Games duty.

A dozen years have elapsed since that sojourn to Melbourne back in 2006.

Lee McConnell tells elsewhere on these pages, in a special PB interview, of the pleasure a bronze medal brought to her and her coach.

Rodger had a minor role, too, in Chris Baillie’s silver medal in the sprint hurdles at the same Games when he offered guidance after the late Bob Somerville had returned to Scotland prior to the competition in Australia.

Rodger Harkins

Rodger ready

Now, more than a decade on, the scottishathletics Performance Director and Team Scotland athletics head coach hopes to bring some of that experience to bear at Gold Coast 2018.

‘We went out to Australia the last time for the Commonwealths, in Melbourne in 2006, and it went very well for Lee McConnell,’ he recalled, prior to leaving Scotland.

‘I was her coach and we were out there for a number of weeks actually. I worked in further education at the time and had dispensation from my college employers to be away – with sportscotland helping us with that. Lee was very much regarded as a medal contender that year and in many ways that prompted that particular approach.

‘She had to get used to the conditions in Australia, get a couple of races in, and familiarise herself with the surroundings.

So our preparations were important and it turned out the approach was right.

‘I also had a little bit of involvement with Chris Baillie and Allan Scott in the sprint hurdles. They were both coached by Bob Somerville. Bob was in Australia for a spell as they trained and prepared but he had to return home just prior to the Games.

Voice of experience can help our team He asked me to keep an eye on the two athletes.

‘As it happened, after Chris went through his semi-final there was a bit of overexcitement breaking out with some Team Scotland members and I had to make sure he wasn’t affected. I asked Allan to get Chris away from the stadium as quickly as possible so that he would not be distracted from focussing on the final.

‘So, when we started the preparation work for Gold Coast 2018 – and it is a long time ago now, I felt I had experience I could draw on.’

To the casual observer, and perhaps even many in the athletics community in Scotland, the build-up to the Games only really starts now. The reality is the cycle began not long after Glasgow 2014.

‘Gold Coast 2018 is going to be a different experience and a different time of year for our athletes and coaches,’ added Rodger.

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‘I think we can say we’ve seen some good signs early in 2018 of athletes coming into good form. For four or five, the World Indoors was there as a significant event in itself but also as a marker for where they are at. Others had different competitions or preparatory races/events to measure their current form.’

Scotland claimed four medals at Hampden via the efforts of Libby Clegg, Mark Dry, Eilidh Doyle and Lynsey Sharp. Seeking to top that is the aspiration now. To do that, athletes first need to reach finals (as Chris Baillie bluntly explains in his Melbourne 2006 reflections on pages 20 and 21).

‘Clearly, the target is to get as many as possible from the whole selection into contention for the medals – say the 1-5 finish positions in finals,’ said Rodger.

‘The more we can get into that ballpark, the more chance we have of those being converted into podium places.

As PB went to publication, Rodger had headed Down Under as athletes and coaches start to count down the days to the main event.

‘Lee was in the hurdles that time and of course she came away with a bronze medal.

months will pay off.

‘We’ve spent some considerable time trying to help them, and their individual coaches, work out how best to get themselves in the right shape for early April. And the approach varies according to the discipline or the individual’s circumstances, obviously.

Hopefully all that work over the past few

‘They will have to adapt to perceived differences from what’s normal for them at this time of year. There will be a lot of excitement in Australia for a Commonwealth Games and they have to either shut that out or feed off it, depending on their personalities.

‘The Aussies take their sport extremely seriously so I feel the overall experience will not be too unlike a home games in Britain for our athletes. By that, I mean the atmosphere generated around Gold Coast 2018 will be awesome.

‘Australians are always highly-competitive with England when it comes to sport but I think they will have an affinity with Team Scotland. There is a bit more of a rapport there and that might be helpful.

‘Obviously we do have a medal target laid down – more than four – and we will be doing our utmost to meet that.

‘But I am not going to put pressure on athletes by laying it on the line for them and saying that they have to deliver for Team Scotland, sportscotland or scottishathletics as their own governing body.

‘They are there because they deserve to be after years and years of hard work in the sport to reach a certain level and thanks to good coaching guidance.

‘I’m not asking them to ‘do it for us’ because I know that, deep down, they will want to do it for themselves. And for their coach.

And their family. And the country.

‘That is enough of a motivation in itself, so they don’t need anything extra from us.’

Good luck Team Scotland!

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Grassroots Athletics

Bellahouston Harriers

Bella flame burns bright after 125th birthday Feature: Stuart Miller

Photos: Jeremy Sutton-Hibbert

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ince the club’s foundation, the distinctive vest of Bellahouston Harriers has been worn by Olympians, international athletes and Scottish record holders. It has crossed the line first in the prestigious Edinburgh to Glasgow Road Relay and was at the forefront of a ‘golden age’ of Scottish marathon running in the 1980s.

‘paper chase’ linking three Glasgow parks – was a nod to the club’s first known event.

On 5 November 1892, members raced across Glasgow’s southside following a route marked by paper dropped by two ‘trail layers’ who had set off in advance.

The five-mile handicap was recorded at the time by the Glasgow Herald which described a thrilling pursuit of the trail by However, for a time, one of Scotland’s oldest members who exchanged the lead several running clubs was at risk of extinction. Just times. a decade ago, members could consider Like then, today’s members set off in packs, themselves fortunate to see more than a hunting down the trail that unofficial club handful of others on club training nights.

Forget competing at the sharp end of district historian Iain Morrison had earlier laid using flour and chalk. and national competitions; Bellahouston Harriers was doing well to field a single team.

When the latest generation of members came together to celebrate 125 years of the Harriers on a crisp and sunny Sunday morning last November, though, they did so with the club in a healthy state and fast rediscovering its confidence.

In following the route, members crossed grassy fields in Bellahouston Park, traversed the muddy trails of Pollok Park, and skipped over leafy pavements. Once in Queen’s Park, runners were free to abandon their group and make a solo break for the line.

As the heat rose from exhausted bodies gathered at the finish, members were able That 125th anniversary run – a multi-terrain to reflect on a fun and fitting tribute to the

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club’s roots.

Now the club is looking forward. There are plans to expand the fledgling junior section, grow the club’s coaching team and modernise the way the club operates.

Some of the building blocks are already in place – an expanding membership and new constitution means the club is well-placed to grow.

The club’s flagship event – the Brian Goodwin 10k – is a hugely popular event.

Runners are attracted from far and wide by the flat and fast course, the chance to run in beautiful Pollok Park on a summer evening and the prospect of a free beer and burger at the finish line!

Last year’s sell-out race witnessed the

Grassroots Athletics

fastest 10k time by a Scot anywhere in the world in 2017; an impressive 29.14.

That run by Callum Hawkins was also a new course record. Entries are now open for the event – see www.stuweb.co.uk/ events/2018/06/15/3084/ - being held on Friday 15 June However, Bellahouston Harriers is not just a club for athletes interested in road racing.

People with an eclectic range of running ambitions are welcomed on training nights.

The club supports members pursuing PBs on the track, and has a cohort of marathon regulars – including three who have a realistic chance of breaking the 2.30 barrier in the next year or two. It also boasts a number of ‘ultra’ runners who have completed the West Highland Way race.

The membership spans from social runners and prolific parkrunners to seasoned competitors hunting medals for themselves and the club.

As a Harriers club, competing at cross country championships remains a central

Bellahouston Harriers

focus. In recent times, there has been a major spike in the number of Bellahouston Harriers pulling on the vest at cross country events, reflecting the general trend for record entry levels seen across Scotland.

At last year’s Renfrewshire Championships, approximately half of the women competing were sporting the light blue Saltire of the Harriers, while the club believes it had more finishers in total across the senior male and female races than any other club in the country at December’s West District Cross Country Championships.

However, while increased participation reflects a membership enthused by competitive athletics, Bellahouston Harriers is not just there to make up the numbers.

The last decade has seen improving results for the club. The women’s team has regularly taken home Masters medals, while the men’s team recorded top 10 finishes at both the National XC at Falkirk and National Road Relay Championships in Livingston in 2017 – the best results for the club for 30 years. More recently, there was individual

success for the club’s Jack Arnold in finishing second at the Renfrewshire Road Race Championships.

Beyond participation and performance, Bellahouston Harriers prides itself on being a welcome and inclusive club. Individual successes are celebrated collectively and, with the absence of elitism, there is plenty of opportunity for members of all backgrounds to mix through its thriving social scene.

As the club moves further into its 126th year, Bellahouston Harriers is a happy club inspired by its rich history and energised by its future prospects

http://www.bellahoustonharriers.com https://fb.com/bellahoustonharriers @BellaHarriers

scottishathletics

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Header Grassroots Athletics

West Dunbartonshire AC

Hard work sparks revival in Dumbarton

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DEDICATED team of volunteers have helped to save West Dunbartonshire Athletics Club’s junior section.

Since 1998, the friendly club based in Dumbarton has helped to improve the lives of children and young adults from all abilities and backgrounds.

But due to a lack of coaches, the junior club section had to briefly close last year.

Upon hearing the disappointing news, a determined group of former athletes and coaches from WDAC decided to take action to try and revive the club.

Through a shared passion for the sport and a deep desire to give something back to their community, they gave up their spare time to set up a new committee to get things back off the ground at Dumbarton club.

Despite the mammoth task ahead, the volunteers remained determined to resurrect the club with some welcome support from WD Leisure and from scottishathletics. After months of endless meetings and training, the junior section was re-launched in October last year.

Laura Young, who is chairperson of the club, said the new committee and coaches were blown away by the turnout.

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She told PB: ‘We were absolutely astounded by the turnout on our first night. We were unsure what the response would be like but it was unbelievable.

‘All our months of commitment and hard work paid off as we could clearly see that there is a huge demand for athletics in West Dunbartonshire. That has been the catalyst for what has happened since then.’

Just three months after the re-launch, eight young athletes took the chance to compete at our FPSG scottishathletics Indoor U12 SUPERteams event at the world-class Emirates Arena in Glasgow in mid-February.

With a team of six volunteer coaches and a strong committee, the future is looking bright for athletics in West Dunbartonshire.

Demand for the club continues to grow exponentially as news of the new junior section spreads throughout the area. The club currently trains every Tuesday night at Dumbarton Academy at 7pm.

Anyone who would like more information is asked to check out the West Dunbartonshire Athletics Club Facebook page or website or alternatively email wdathleticsclub@gmail.com Report by Rosemary Lowne

‘To have our young athletes competing at such a prestigious venue so soon after setting up the junior section, is simply amazing,’ added Laura Young.

‘This was an incredible opportunity for the children to compete with teams from the length and breadth of Scotland and one I am sure which will inspire them for years to come.’

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Masters XC

ust a couple of weeks before the Masters XC took place at Dean Castle Country Park, the IAAF issued comments insisting cross country needs to be ‘more extreme’ to prosper.

But the consensus was definitely that the right level of challenge had been set and surely that’s all we can ask of event organisers come XC?

It is an interesting issue, which can prompt different responses, but we don’t imagine too many in the athletics community in Scotland believe a ‘Tough Mudder’ style event is right for cross country.

Perhaps it should be no surprise that the main race winners were Scotland international hill runners par excellence.

Charlotte Morgan claimed the Women’s gold with a dominant performance and Shettleston’s Jethro

Nonetheless, organisers Kilmarnock Harriers may be said to have picked up the ‘more extreme’ ball and run with it come Saturday 3 February.

To say conditions were muddy would be an understatement.

There was mud and hills and muddy hills; plus a field left ankle deep in the sticky stuff by horses; tree roots to negotiate; paths with sodden, muddy mats thereon and, not to forget, a log to hurdle on a steep uphill. It was a severe mental as well as physical battle for all involved.

A number of athletes and clubs quickly labelled it ‘proper cross country’ on social media thereafter and one entrant, new to this event, insisted he had been ‘thrown in at the deep end – almost literally’. Another East League veteran labelled it as the ‘toughest race of the season’ as another marker. For those in the West, it was tougher in an overall sense than Linwood or Bellahouston Park in recent years.

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Gala Harriers women are often prominent on these occasions and 2018 was no different as they took the team golds back to the Borders. Chisholm led Garscube to silvers, with Giffnock North AC landing the bronzes.

Lennox won the men’s V40-60 race over 8k in a time of 30.13 to take it by only a couple of seconds from silver medallist, Iain Reid of Cambuslang Harriers in an exciting finish. In fact, for Jethro it was basically a repeat of last year when he took the title from another Cambuslang athlete - Robert Gilroy. The bronze medal went the way of Tom Ferrington of Corstorphine.

Ferrington’s performance helped Corstorphine to the team gold medals with Cambuslang taking the silvers and Shettleston Harriers in third for the bronzes.

Lennox made it two-in-a-row as he followed up his victory at Dundee last year with a repeat success at Dean Castle Country Park.

Morgan burst clear early on in the Women’s and Men’s V65 race and seemed to relentlessly keep building that advantage. In the end, she romped home in 23.41 - fully 51 seconds ahead of nearest rival, Catriona Morrison of Stirling Triathlon Club. There was a bronze medal for Lesley Chisholm of Garscube Harriers.

Tony Martin of Falkland Trail Runners won the M65 race ahead of Frank Hurley of Cambuslang and Andy McLinden of Hamilton Harriers.

Many thanks to host club Kilmarnock Harriers for superb efforts in staging the Masters XC and putting in a lot of work to deliver the event and a tough course.

Thanks, too, to Dean Castle Country Park staff and to all the volunteers making a vital contribution as marshals, time-keepers, finish-line video and Results and so on. Your assistance is vital to making events happen.

Photos by Mike Scott

Grassroots Athletics

Sunny McGrath

Family ties run deep

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anff Academy pupil Sunny McGrath is emerging as one of the North’s best young distance running prospects and when he needs advice, the 15 year-old can turn at any time to one of the world’s greatest ultra distance athletes.

Ritchie has held more global records than any other British athlete and it is little wonder that he was awarded an MBE for his services to athletics.

Now 73, he takes great pleasure in helping his grandson by driving him to races and McGrath’s grandfather is Lossiemouth-based offering the occasional word of wisdom.

Donald Ritchie who, during a long and Young McGrath is certainly showing signs of eventful athletics career, broke world records being capable of making his own mark on for 50 km, 40 miles, 50 miles, 100 km, the athletics stage despite this being only 150 km, 100 miles, 200 km and running his second season in the sport. Last winter 24 hours indoors. he won the U15 division of the Scottish North District cross country league and Ritchie’s world record of 6hrs 10min picked up a bronze medal in the Scottish 20secs for 100km equates to roughly six cross country championships. He also made minutes per mile and his 100 miles record his Scotland debut in the schools cross of 11:30:51 breaks down into close to country international at Margam Park in seven minutes per mile.

Wales.

These were astonishing performances, as good in their own right, if not better, than anything the likes of Usain Bolt or Mo Farah have achieved at more popular and higher profile distances.

said Sunny.

‘On the way there he’ll ask me what my plan for the race is then he’ll make some suggestions. He also helps with my training by telling me about some of the things he did when he was younger.’

McGrath, who lives in Sandend, is also an accomplished footballer having been on Aberdeen’s books as a youngster and is now part of the Deveronvale development team.

He added: ‘I played for Aberdeen but I was dropped when I was 12. My grandad and my PE teacher, Mrs McDonald, suggested I should try running as I liked doing it and about a year later I joined Deveron Harriers.

‘I turned up for training at the Harriers and they said I was too young. However, I asked if I could do one session with them to let hem see me running and after that they let me join.

The youngster, who is a member of Deveron Harriers, is grateful for the help his grandad offers.

‘They didn’t have to take me in, but they did, and I am grateful for that. I get good coaching there from George Rutten.’

‘Grandad comes to all my races if he can,’

by Fraser Clyne

If you’re going to put yourself through hell, you might as well do it in heaven.

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GUARANTEED MARATHON ENTRY AVAILABLE NOW The Event Frontrunners

Grassroots Athletics

Ian Gebbie

How to make events run smoothly... scottishathletics have long championed the pivotal role of volunteers in our clubs and understandably the main focus is normally on the critical roles of coaches and officials. This time, however, we thought it might be worthwhile having a look at one of the other key functions in our sport – the Event Organisers.

To give us an insight into this aspect of athletics, PB talked to Ian Gebbie of Kilmarnock Harriers . . .

BEFORE: Ian & his team help clear the course for the Masters XC

AFTER: Ian at the finish

Q:

Hi Ian; how many events are you and your team involved in managing in an average year?

A: I am not sure how typical we are as a club but we would have something happening most months. This cross country season alone has seen us hosting the East Ayrshire Schools and the Ayrshire Schools Championships, our own Open CC Event – ‘Roon the Country’, as well as the Scottish Masters Championships and the UK Police National Cross Country Championships.

On the road, we have Ruby’s Run (a longstanding charity 5K) plus our flagship 10K road race, ‘Roon the Toon’. We also host two open graded track meetings at the Ayrshire Athletics Arena and are helping with volunteers for the West District Champs.

On top of that, we have our various club events – three club handicap races and the track and field championships. As if that’s not enough, we help out Ayrshire Cancer Support and Ayrshire Sportsability with their events. So it’s busy, busy, busy!!

Q: With so much happening, how do you manage to keep the volunteers motivated to turn out?

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A: Well, I normally start with bribery – a bacon roll once the cross country field is set up and a real ale when we have packed everything away. However in desperation I sometimes have to appeal to their better judgement and convince them it is the right thing to do!

Only joking – the truth is it’s not difficult.

We all want to represent the club well by delivering well-organised events and we all take pleasure when everything runs smoothly.

Q: What are the challenges you guys face in organising so many events?

A: I guess the first one is trying to recruit new volunteers to help, particularly from the younger sections of the club and parents.

It is the same stalwarts who turn out again and again. They are a fantastic bunch but it would be really good to spread the burden a bit.

The other big challenge is getting athletes from outside Ayrshire to support the events.

I think some folk believe Kilmarnock is somehow remote but at the time our events take place we are 20 minutes from central Glasgow and just over an hour from Edinburgh/Stirling area.

Q: Having been involved in this for a few years, do you have any tips for budding race organisers?

A: It is a bit obvious, but I think the absolute priority is building strong partnerships with the Local Authority and Leisure Trust. The trick that we found particularly helpful was to get some elected members on side before asking for any support from the administration. It’s great what a bit of leverage can do.

Also many races will rely on some kind of sponsorship to get them established.

When looking for sponsors, don’t forget your club members. They are all employees/ customers/sometimes owners of businesses.

Our members have been our most fertile source.

Finally there are some great resources out there to help, particularly on the scottishathletics website www.scottishathletics.org.uk/events/ organising-an-event

Or on the UK Race Directors Club www.runbritain.com/race-directors-club

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g n i c n Bala act

Student Athletics Mhairi Patience

How student athletes combine sport and study veterinary science and Sol Sweeney (business), both at Glasgow University. The he concept of the student athlete seems World Champs 400m relay silver medallist, to some like a myth. Super-humans not Zoey Clark, also recently graduated from only in their sporting talent, but in their Aberdeen University with a masters in ability to juggle their training alongside their chemical engineering full-time degree.

How do these students manage it? Many However, in Scotland and Britain, we seem non-student athletes or even student to be producing them at a very exciting rate. athletes who compete at a lower level complain that there simply isn’t enough On the back of a highly successful summer time do everything in a day. at the World University Games in Taipei, student athletes have become a hot topic.

Speaking to University of Strathclyde student, 400m hurdler and reigning BUCS Notable successes included a 500m bronze (British University and Colleges Sport) medal for Jessica Judd, a biochemistry champion, Mhairi Patience explains about student at Loughborough University; fourth ‘keeping things at an even level’. place in the high jump for Allan Smith, a fitness, health and exercise student at ‘I don’t want to let things slip, either in my Edinburgh College; and 1500m bonze for studies or my training,’ said Mhairi.

Johnathon Davies, a biological science ‘I have to keep that balance. What I like student at Birmingham University is that, if I’m in the library, then I’ll have a Other notable Scottish student athletes set time I can be in for and then I’ll have to include Laura Muir, who’s studying leave for training. It gives me a focus.’

By Maddy Watson, Strathclyde Uni

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Zoey Clark graduates in Aberdeen Time management is a major factor in being a successful student athlete. Many highlevel athletes can train for up to three hours a day, six days a week. Add this on top of an average day at university of about four or five hours plus potentially a part-time job, this seems like a sure-fire way to run yourself into the ground?

Mhairi told me about her average day;

Loughborough student Jamie Williamson wins the Scottish 1500m indoor title

Grassroots Athletics

Student Athletics

get up at 8am and go into university for a couple of hours of studying; work from 11am-3pm at her internship in the Strathclyde Sports Union; train from 3.30pm-6pm; eat; back to the library and then finally home at 11pm.

She adds that this kind of schedule is made possible mainly from the help of the University and Glasgow City Council’s Sports Bursary or the ‘elite athlete programme’ as it’s more commonly referred to, which can be awarded in any sporting discipline recognised by the UK Sports Council.

The University of Strathclyde states that applicants must have reached World, Olympic, European or British Standard to be considered for this programme.

The elite athlete programme supports the most promising athletes that universities have to offer hence the high level required to be considered. Elite athletes who are accepted onto the programme not only gain financial aid towards entry fees, travel and accommodation, they also gain a certain understanding from the university that when they have important races they can push back deadlines for assignments or even exams.

This type of support eliminates some of the day to day stresses of being a student athlete. The constant rush traveling from one end of the city to another. The stress when you’re scraping together the money for a train to race in another city. The anxiety when you know you have an important paper due the same week as an important race. That helping hand makes all the difference.

However, it’s not all early mornings and late nights; there are also many other benefits of being a student athlete.

Primarily, it is a very social environment with most university and college clubs hosting regular social events. This provides a great opportunity for athletes to not only meet similar people to themselves but also meet fellow students potentially from different athletic disciplines and levels.

This can take the pressure off temporarily from training and studying and provide athletes with a welcome break. Student sporting events such as Scottish Uni and Colleges cross country and indoor and outdoor track championships are another great opportunity to make friends and connections across the sporting community.

It is clear that student athletics is a thriving section of the sport as a whole and we must ensure that it stays this way.

‘I’m so glad my coach and parents talked me out of quitting’ says student RACHEL ALEXANDER

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hree years ago Rachel Alexander couldn’t believe it when she found herself on the same long jump runway as Jessica Ennis-Hill one May afternoon at Loughborough.

The then 16-year-old Scot was competing as a guest that day en route to a season which saw her collect bronze at the Commonwealth Youth Games in Samoa.

Far from being starry-eyed, Alexander came up with a superb PB leap of 6.10m which took her to fifth place in a competition won by Jazmin Sawyers at 6.28m. Masterful multi-eventer EnnisHill, in what was one of her last domestic appearances, reached 6.16m.

A 6.05 windy jump at Grangemouth set up Rachel for Samoa but as she went into her last years at school, suffered from injury and started studying at Strathclyde University, athletics has been difficult for this hard-working and talented teenager.

Straining to reach the distances already achieved while working on recovery and rehabilitation left Rachel weighing up whether to quit – by her own candid admission.

‘To be honest there have been so many times in the past couple of years when I have wanted to quit the sport,’ the 2018 FPSG Scottish Senior champion told us, after victory last weekend with an indoor PB of 6.04m.

‘It has been so difficult with a few injury problems and moving to Uni – I am at Strathclyde. My coach, David Watson, and my parents helped talk me out of it a few times so I’ve them to thank, really.

‘They kept on urging me to carry on and the fact is I do love athletics and love jumping. You can’t keep going in it unless you do, I don’t think.

‘I jumped at Loughborough back in 2015 and Jess Ennis was in the event that day. It was really exciting. Then I went to Samoa for the Commonwealth Youth Games and won a bronze medal there.

‘But it has been hard since then and 2016 and 2017 were tough. It was a great feeling to take the gold medal and win the Senior Scottish title at the Emirates.’

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Road Running

Luke Traynor

Luke makes Mammoth strides Luke Traynor’s career took another big leap forward with a run of 61.57 at the Barcelona Half Marathon – taking him third on the Scottish all-time list.

Giffnock North AC 2:40 marathoner, David Sawyer, interviewed Luke recently for his ZudePR company runningbeginsat40 blog and found out more about the runner who is now splitting his time between Glasgow and California.

As PB went to press, Luke was on the brink of GB selection for the World Half Marathon Champs in Spain on March 24.

What’s a typical training week? How many miles? What types of sessions? At what pace? Terrain?

It varies each week but usually involves around 85-100 miles with two big workouts and a long run of 16-20 miles.

My average easy pace is usually 6.15 to 6.45-minute miles.

Typical sessions include 3×3 miles at about 4.30-4.45-minute miles, 10x1k at 10k race pace (2.50 per km). I do a very light core session as running is core work in itself, and I do quite a lot of flexibility work with resistance bands.

In addition, I get one 45-60 minute deep massage per week (certainly not a relaxing massage). This just helps to flush out muscle knots and keeps me healthy.

Do you train alone or in groups?

When I am home in Glasgow I train alone for nearly all of my runs and sessions. In Mammoth, I have a really strong team that includes Olympians and guys to train with.

Percentage weekly training off-road versus on?

In Mammoth I would say 90 per cent is off road whereas when I am home it is the opposite.

My training plan is pretty flexible; you have to run based on how you feel. If you are forcing your body too much it will break, simple as that. My coach is incredibly good at telling me to back off a bit, if required.

Nutrition. How seriously do you take this and what do you eat?

My nutrition is getting better and better. I certainly used to treat myself frequently but now it all comes down to who can execute that final one per cent the best. I try to keep my diet balanced and stay away from fried/ processed food.

I have actually noticed a huge improvement in my immune system and sleeping patterns just from increasing my fruit and vegetable intake at meal times.

I also really only drink water, certainly no fizzy sugary drinks.

Give us a brief overview of your running development, Luke I didn’t start running until relatively late for a junior, getting noticed at the 2008 Rouken Glen 10K by ex-Giffnock North A.C. star, Rory Cartwright, and coach Dudley Walker.

I certainly was not much of a star in the junior ranks with an 800m PB slower than my current 10,000m pace at the end of my first year as an U17 athlete.

How many races do you do a year, roughly?

As a junior I raced a lot; it is the most fun part about the sport and I enjoyed it. I now have to be far more strategic in order to peak at the right times and so only race about 10 times per year (this includes track, road and cross country).

Focusing on the 10k and up means I really cannot race too much; long hard efforts take weeks to recover from before you can start building up again.

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Do you work from a rigid training plan or do you just know the principles of running success then make up your training as you go along?

I’d say my development could be summed up with one word . . . persistence. I have always believed that this is the key to success in running, particularly if you are not the most naturally talented. By “putting miles in the bank” day after day, year after year, it is going to come to fruition at some point.

What are your three biggest running achievements?

I honestly think one of my biggest achievements to date is the fact I am still running and competing at a high level.

Looking back on my undergraduate life

Road Running living in Glasgow, temptations were in abundance but somehow (guidance of people like Giffnock North AC coach Dudley Walker played a huge role here) I persevered and was then offered a US University (Tulsa) scholarship which to an extent ‘ignited the flame’.

Luke Traynor My parents also have to get a mention here, constantly driving me to training sessions over the years and to obscure remote British towns to stand in the rain and watch me run around. It’s probably not the ideal way to spend your time off work.

What do you get out of running? What inspires you?

You were out for a couple of years when I first met you, through injury? What was the secret to getting back and did you ever think you’d never run again?

I think I have answered the inspiration question to an extent. I just believe that I can go far in this sport. I don’t know how far and won’t measure my success in medals, but rather if I am doing everything I can to better myself then I will be happy with where I end up.

That was a scary injury. It was a rare bone (navicular) to be so swollen without a clean fracture. There was no definite amount of time I’d be out and it really did start to feel like I was finished with running.

To some degree I look at the recent success of guys like Callum Hawkins and Andrew Butchart and just think that if they can do it I’m sure I can too. It really is inspiring (forgive the cliche) to see Callum doing what he’s doing: knocking 90 seconds off the Scottish HM record shows the calibre of the guy.

Again, Dudley played a huge role in keeping my focus. I targeted shorter distance events the following year to sort of start anew. I also stayed involved with the club by taking a coaching role with the U11 athletes, which I also think helped to keep me in the sport.

What’s next? Where do you go from here? What do you want to achieve in 2018?

Is there anyone who has been particularly instrumental in your success? A mentor perhaps?

I have big goals for 2018.

Dudley Walker’s role in my success really can’t be over-stated. His commitment to Giffnock North AC is incredible. It really takes passion to stand at the side of the track in any weather dealing with kids of all abilities.

I am in the process of moving my training base more permanently to the small ski town Mammoth Lakes in the Sierra Nevada mountains of California. Mammoth sits at 8000ft altitude and so it is the perfect location for an endurance athlete.

I believe Dudley stopped me from quitting the sport on a number of occasions.

Living and training at this height makes it far harder to breathe and strengthens your lungs, heart, and increases your body’s red blood cells, moving oxygen to muscles more efficiently.

I also want to mention my appreciation towards all of the coaches at the club that have helped me including Dudley’s trusty side-kick Croy Thomson (himself a 2:43 marathoner), and one of the hardest working women I have ever met: Clare Stevenson!

Most of the world’s best endurance runners come from the Rift Valley in Eastern Africa, which has towns at very similar heights: living at altitude is one of the main reasons Kenyans and Ethiopians are so dominant in the sport.

I will now be under the guidance of Andrew Kastor, husband of Athens Olympics Marathon bronze medalist and now teammate of mine, Deena Kastor.

Andrew really has an incredible depth of knowledge and passion for the sport and I really believe in his training philosophy.

My day to day living and training is where I will constantly be trying to better myself.

Obviously, having a sponsor would be the ideal scenario for me so that I could be 100 per cent focussed on my training.

Callum Hawkins and well-known Giffnock coach Dudley Walker

However, I understand what it takes to garner financial interest and I know I haven’t quite done enough yet. I don’t

expect handouts and have been used to working hard on and off the track to fund my own training. However, I also understand that if I want to make my ideal situation in the US more permanent I have to draw in some funding from somewhere.

Do you think you’ll ever step up to the marathon?

I am realising more and more that the marathon is probably my calling.

I have a huge engine that allows me to run at a fairly decent pace for a long time.

I certainly haven’t given up on the track and I’m confident with my speed but I do think I will see my greatest success in the marathon in perhaps the not too distant future.

Favourite running book?

I’m a fan of Adharanand Finn and his work. However, Haruki Murakami’s ‘What I Talk About When I Talk About Running’ is probably my favourite. Seb Coe’s autobiography is very interesting, too.

What advice would you give to competitive runners who are striving to maximise their potential?

Be smart is the best advice for running.

People get obsessed by the numbers when in reality running is not about the numbers at all.

It’s about maximising your potential and this can change day to day. You have to listen to your body.

See more: zudepr.co.uk/running-begins-at-40/

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