Scottish title favourite heads Tweedbank field

David Knox 1607 - 1607 • Last updated 30 Jun 2008 12:21 0 Comments

TWEEDBANK may not have the traditions and support of other Border Games but Saturday"s meeting has attracted some of the country"s top athletes.

Pitreavie"s Craig Robertson, who is amongst the favourites to land this year"s Scottish Championship title, heads a tremendous half-mile field.

The scratch man won at the famous New Year meeting and finished runner up last week at Peebles.

But he is up against former Scottish Indoor Champion Colin Welsh (2.5) from Kelso and emerging teenager Guy Learnmonth (30) from Berwick.

And if that fast-paced duo wasn"t enough, Robertson will also have to catch Selkirk winner Steven Fox (30) from Seaton, Border Schools middle distance champion Jonathon Wolf (45) from Kelso, the SGA"s distance runner of 2007 Dean Whiteford (57.5), the consistent Bryan Stannage, both from Innerleithen, and Selkirk duo Ben Purves (62.5) and Ally Laurie (147.5).

The 100 metres may have only attracted 35 entries but amongst them is Glasgow flying machine Craig Fleming (scr).

The 22-year-old, who is coached by John Hart, is amongst the top three in Scotland just now.

But he faces a lot of catching with last year"s winner Linda Nicholson (22.5), in-form Colin Bruce (11.5) from Selkirk, West Linton"s Sam Porter (18) and Peebles" John Mullins (14.5) all getting healthy starts.

Linda told us: 'I feel I would probably need more than that from Craig but I will give it my best.'

Around 60 runners will line up in the Youths" 100 metres sprint with Lauder"s Grant Runciman (8), Alan Lindsay (8) from Galashiels and Donald Purves (6) from Selkirk amongst the fancied entries.

But Peeblesshire youngsters James Innes (13), Jessica Porter (19.5), Stuart Mullins (13), Caillie Douce (18.5) and Faye Nicholson (13) will all be looking to progress to the final.

The full programme of senior and youths track events, as well as long jump competitions, start at Tweedbank Sports Centre on Saturday at 2pm.

*Additional athletics meetings have been included on this summer"s Borders games calendar.

Organised under the Scottish Games Association banner Hawick will host a track event on Saturday, July 5.

And on Sunday July 13 an extra meeting will be staged at Tweedbank Sports Centre.

Border Athletics Association already organizes 12 meetings across the region throughout the summer.

But the extra meetings will fill empty slots.

Handicapper Adam Crawford told the Peeblesshire News: 'There are no meetings anywhere in Scotland on July 5 so we thought it would be a good idea to hold an extra games in Hawick.

'We will be taking entries for Hawick right up until this Saturday"s games at Tweedbank.

'The extra Tweedbank meeting on Sunday, July 13, is also being held under SGA rules.'

Hawick"s additional meeting features youths" races from 90 metres up to 800 metres as well as an open 90 metres and 800 metres.

And Tweedbank"s July meeting has over £1000 in prize money up for grabs with a full programme of youths and senior competitions.

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This article appeared in Peeblesshire News 30 Jun 08

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