Scottish Highland Games Association

NEW EVENTS & RECORD PRIZE-MONEY ON OFFER AT MARKINCH writes Shane Fenton

Markinch Highland Games are set to give athletes an early season boost by staging a series of 4 lucrative 90 metres Invitation races at the John Dixon Park event on Sunday 7^th June.

Thanks to substantial new sponsorship from'Friends of Markinch Games' seperate invitation races will be run for male,female,veteran and youth athletes.

The £1000 90m Male Invitation which has a first prize of £500 is thought to be the biggest monetary prize offered for an athletic event anywhere in Fife. There will also be three figure sums for both the runner-up and third whom will pick up £200 and £100 respectively, with 4^th, 5^th and 6^th receiving £50.

The winner of the 90m Youths Invitation will carry-off a prize of £100,with the runner-up picking up £50,the 3^rd £30 and 4^th, 5^th and 6^th £20.

Both the 90m Vets and Women's Invitation races will have prize money of £40,£25,£15,£10,£10,£10.

To qualify to run in any of the invitation races athletes must be entered in the handicap sprint races.

Included in the sponsorship package is 4 x £50 prizes which will go to the best Open male & female performances on the day and best Youth, boy & girl on the day.

Over and above the invitation races, all the usual events for athletes are scheduled to take place. Open-90m,200m,400m,800m,1600m and 3200m with the Youths the same with the exception of the 3200m.

The 90 metres track at Markinch is the only one on the Highland Games circuit still using the 'Chariots of Fire' type, stringed-lanes.

Markinch take great pride in their athletic events and always try and have the track in tip-top condition for the runners.

This stems back to the 60's,70's and 80's when Cumbie Bowers[snr] maintained it for his big 'school' of 20 to 30 runners training on it.

Since then Markinch has always encouraged Youth running, it's also down to Cumbie that today's youth athletes can enjoy the luxury of having so many events to compete in on the games circuit.

Back in the day the only race for Youth's on the Games circuit would be the Boys Marathon. Cumbie changed all that, with personal sponsorship, he encouraged games, not only in Fife, but further afield to introduce more races for the youngsters. And to this day nearly all games stage more youth races ranging from 90 metres through to 1600 metres.

See Markinch entry-form below for full list of events and prize money.

MARKINCH HIGHLAND GAMES

SUNDAY 7th JUNE-2015-JOHN DIXON PARK

RUNNING EVENTS

OPEN

90M: £200--£70--£40--£25--£10--£10

200M: £50--£30--£15--£10--£10--£10

400M: £50--£25--£15--£10--£10--£10

800M: £70--£40--£25--£10--£10--£10

1600M: £70--£40--£25--£10--£10--£10

3200M: £70--£40--£25--£10--£10--£10

90M[Male] INV:£500--£200--£100--£50--£50--£50

90M[Female INV][£40--£25--£15--£10--£10--£10

90M [VETS INV]: £40--£25--£15--£10--£10--£10[NEW FOR 2015 - £50 PRIZE for Open athlete of the day,male& female]]YOUTHS12. 200M: £30--£15--£10--£10--£5--£514. 800M: £30--£15--£10--£10--£5--£5[Overall points shield for events 11-15[NEW FOR 2015 £50 PRIZE for Youth athlete of the day, boy & girl]
Entries close SUNDAY 31st MAY—Open £5 Youth £3 7 St Ronans Ct Glenrothes KY62LQ

90M: £40--£25--£15--£10--£5--£5
200M: £30--£15--£10--£10--£5--£5
400M: £30--£25--£15--£10--£5--£5
800M: £30--£15--£10--£10--£5--£5
1600M: £40--£25--15--£10--£5--£5

[Overall points shield for events 11-15

16.INV 90M:£100--£50--£30--£20--£20--£20

[NEW FOR 2015 £50 PRIZE for Youth athlete of the day, boy & girl].

Entries close SUNDAY 31st MAY—Open £5 Youth £3 7 St Ronans Ct Glenrothes KY62LQ

Entries to Adam Crawford -01592753439

Published: 2015-05-13 22:34:29