Report from Susan
The first day of Autumn turned out to be a lovely one and perfect for our Club Competition, the first for quite a few years. One of the aims of the Competition was to encourage our young athletes to compete again after we lost some momentum due to Covid as well as the loss of a number of Coaches. We were delighted with the turn out of around 70 x U17 athletes and most of them entered the maximum 3 events, some trying events for the first time. They all put 100% effort into everything which was wonderful to see and resulted in some fantastic performances which also bodes well for the future. We hope some have found a new “favourite“ event or at least another event they’re not afraid to try again. Congratulations to them all.
There were some very exciting close finishes on the track, none more so than the 110m Invitation Handicap which went right to the wire and all of which provided fantastic viewing for the spectators. Likewise in the Field Events, in particular the Long Jump where there were quite a few tussles for top spot.
Fifteen Relay Teams made up of all age groups, all running to clock the fastest times was an amazing way to finish the Competition. The medal presentation, with a beautiful sunset as a backdrop, was a moving experience for the Coaches as it was wonderful to see the Athletes all together, celebrating their own success and of those around them. We were delighted to welcome David Hand, the Club founder, who continues to support the Club at every opportunity, and was happy to present the medals and trophies. It was great to see so many spectators cheering on the Athletes and helping to create a warm, friendly and encouraging atmosphere.
We could not run an event like this without the voluntary support of the Officials and those who helped them, so a huge thank you to them. We must also acknowledge the hard work of the Coaches who again give up so much of their time to prepare the youngsters for the events like this. Thanks to Leigh for setting up her little cafe providing much needed hot drinks as the evening air cooled. A special thanks to Andy, Keith and Susan for the huge amount of work they put in beforehand and on the evening .
There is no time to rest as we now look ahead to the Scottish Relay Championships on Saturday 10th at Grangemouth where we have entered a number of teams running distances from 100m to 800m . The Indoor Track and Field season starts soon and will take place over a number of weekends throughout the autumn and winter at The Emirates in Glasgow.
Our own Cross Country Competition will take place on Sunday 30th October at Gorebridge and there will be numerous events over the autumn and winter too. Please keep checking the website for further information on the above.
So a final thank you to everyone, including athletes who helped make our Competition such a success. See you next year!
