Scottish Highland Games Association

Games runners among the medals at Masters Championships

GAMES ATHLETES AMONG THE MEDALS AT MASTERS CHAMPIONSHIPS

writes Shane Fenton

Athletes who compete regularly on the Highland games circuit came away with a clutch of medals at the Scottish Athletics Masters Indoor Championships at the Emirates Arena in Glasgow.

New Year Sprint winners Tommy Finkle and Ian Horsburgh both landed doubles, Finkle the 1989 New Year champion won both the 60 metres and 200 metres in the M55 category with reigning champion Horsburgh replicating that in the M40 age group with his time of 7.28s in the 60m a new PB. Ronnie Hunter finished 5th in both M55 races behind Tommy.

There was a silver medal for Malcolm McPhail in the m50 200 metres.

In the women's sprints there was medals for both Nina Cessford and Fiona Steel. Nina claimed gold in the F35 200 metres with a PB run of 27.71, earlier she had picked up a silver in the 60m.

There was double silver for Fiona Steel in the F50 category, the Motherwell AC runner who is relatively new to the games circuit finished runner up in both the 60m and 200m..

In the longer races experienced duo Colin Welsh and John Thomson were both in medal winning form. Welsh, the only athlete to be crowned SHGA Athlete of the Year three times took gold in both the M35 800 metres and 1500m,these were his 10th Masters gold medals in 10 races. Thomson, a former Scottish Athletics Masters Athlete of the Year added a silver medal to his expansive collection with a second place in the M60 1500 metres.

60M [M40] 1st Ian Horsburgh 7.28 PB

60M[M55] 1st Tommy Finkle 8.02 - 5th Ronnie Hunter 8.23.

60M [F35] 2nd Nina Cessford 8.64

60M [F50] Fiona Steel 9.11

200M [M40] 1st Ian Horsburgh 22.48.

200M [M55] 1st Tommy Finkle 25.85 - 5th Ronnie Hunter 28.84

]200M [M50 2nd Malcolm McPhail 25.32

200m[F35] 1st Nina Cessford 27.71 PB

200M [F50] 2nd Fiona Steel 29.57

800M [M35] 1st Colin Welsh 2:06.93

1500M[M35] 1st Colin Welsh 4:20.18

1500M [M60] 2nd John Thomson 4:53.52