Scottish Highland Games Association

 CROWDS INSPIRE ATHLETES AT MARKINCH

Shane Fenton reports from Balbirnie

A warm and at times sunny day attracted the crowds to Sunday's Markinch Highland Games in the towns John Dixon Park. In fact the biggest crowd watching athletics anywhere in Scotland at the weekend.
Entries were good for both the athletic and cycling events with the competitors enjoying performing on a fast grass track.
The £200 top prize in the 90 metres handicap which takes place on the only Chariots of Fire type string-laned track on the SHGA circuit was won by Eoin Lowther, Jedburgh who held off fellow Borderer Craig Grieve and the previous days Blackford winner Liam Halliday, Central AC to win in 10.12s, New Year Sprint winner Dylan Ali who finished 4th later went on to win the Open 90m Invitation Handicap and Open 400 metres Handicap.

The Open 200 metres was won by Leon Ali, brother of Dylan who got up to collar frontmarkers Susan Young, Dundee Hawkhill and Walter Hunter Falkirk in 19.88s.
It was a good day for Pitreavie AC athletes in the longer races, particularly Rebecca Burns who won both the 800m and 1600m Handicaps, in the 800 she held off the challenge of her brother Michael who was 3rd and Aiden Thomson also Pitreavie who was runner up. Despite running from a reduced handicap Rebecca strode out well to win the 1600 metres from World masters medallist John Thomson Glenrothes with Aiden Thomson in 3rd.
Thomson who is one of Scotland's leading junior prospects finally got his nose in front with victory in the 3200 metres handicap, he had to battle all the way however to hold off backmarker Mark Haskett Thames Valley with Dean Whiteford Innerleithen in 3rd.

There was a big Borders entry in the Youth events which was not surprising considering each race had prize money of £100. Amy Campbell Hawick took the 90 metres and 400 metres handicaps, in the sprint she just pipped Natasha Turnbull Peebles and Eilidh O'Hara Leithenburn to break the tape in 10.16 seconds. In the 400 she turned in another gutsy performance to hold off the fast finishing duo of Josh Abbot Chirnside and Ewan Bradley Inverness.
The new event on the programme was the Youth's 90 metres handicap which featured 3 girls and 3 boys and it saw 14 year old Cameron Fisher Jedburgh race to the £100 winners prize. The Youth's 800 metres went to Josh Abbot with Jack Amos, Jedburgh taking out the 1600m.

Markinch is a favourite venue for the heavy event competitors and the six who contested the 7 disciplines put on a good show for the crowd. Lukasz Wenta and Craig Sinclair broke four ground records the previous year, there would be no new records this time although both replicated their wins in the 16lb and 22lb shot putt and hammer events respectively. Lorne Colthart also did a double with wins in the Caber and 28lb for distance.

One of the highlights on the track came in the Scottish 8000 metres Cycle Championship with Edinburgh based professional rider Evan Oliphant who only days earlier had been selected for the Commonwealth Games. Not only did Olipnant take the title but destroyed his own the record time for the race, he previously held the record at 14 minutes 04 seconds but produced a stunning performance, urged on throughout the race by the crowd he lapped all his rivals in setting new figures of 13 minutes 45 seconds.

1600M 1 Rebecca Burns [4:18.53]2 John Thomson Glenrothes 3 Aiden Thomson.

3200M 1 Aiden Thomson[9:38.50] 2 Mark Haskett Thames Valley 3 Dean Whiteford Innerleithen.

90M Invitation 1 Dylan Ali[10.24] 2 Holly McKay Jedburgh 3 Billy Martin.

90M Vets Inviation 1 Davie Rae[10.31] 2 Susan Young 3 Walter Hunter.

90M 1 Amy CampbelL Hawick[10.16] 2 Natasha Turnbull Peebles 3 Eilidh O'Hara Leithenburn.

200M 1 Brodie Cowan [22.25] Jedburgh 2 E O'Hara 3 Josh Abbot Chirnside.

400M 1 Amy Campbell[50.28] 2 Josh Abbot 3 Euan Bradley Inverness.

800M 1 Josh Abbot [1:50.94]2 Jack Amos Jedburgh 3 Sean Bates Tullibody.

1600M 1 Jack Amos [4:47.19] 2 Sean Bates 3 Ryan Thomson Pitreavie AC.

90M Invitation 1 Cameron Fisher [10.38] 2 Kieran Halliday Central AC 3 Anna Forsyth Leithenburn.

800M Fife Championship 1 James Melville Dumbarton1m 12s] 2 Edward Fletcher Grantown on Spey 3 Dougie Shaw Edinburgh.

1600M 1 James Melville[2:35.69] 2 Graham Barclay Glenrothes 3 Edward Fletcher.

8000M Scottish Championship 1 Evan Oliphant Edinburgh [13:45.63 New record] 2 Dougie Shaw 3 Charles Fletcher Grantown on Spey.

Deil tak the Hindmost 1 Evan Oliphant 2 Matthew Ball 3 James Melville.

1600M 1 Lewis Champio 2 A Oxley Linlithgow 3 M Caira Glenrothes.

16LB Shot Putt 1 Lukasz Wenta East Kilbride[58' 1''] 2 Lorne Colthart Blair Atholl 3 Heisi Geirmundsson Iceland.

22LB Shot Putt 1 Lukasz Wenta [46'9''] 2 Lorne Colthart 3 Heise Geirmundsson.

16LB Hammer 1 Craig Sinclair [133'3''] 2 Greg Walker Fettercairn 3 Lukasz Wenta.

22LB Hammer 1 Craig Sinclair[113'1'' 2 Lukasz Wenta 3 Heisi Geirmundsson.

Fife 28LB Wieght for Distance Ch. 1 Lorne Colthart [82' 3''] 2 Craig Sinclair 3 Lukasz Wenta.

CABER 1 Lorne Colthart 2 Lukasz Wenta 3 Greg Walker.

56LB for Height 1 Craig Sinclair [15'0''] 2 Lukasz Wenta 3= Heisi Geirmundsson & Lorne Colthart.

Grade 3 1 Glenrothes & Dist 2 Methil & Dist 3 3rd Battalion Royal Regiment of Scotland.

Grade 4 1 Methil & Dist 2 3rd Battalion Royal Regiment of Scotland 3 Kinross & District.

Novice Juvenile 1 Kelty & Blairadam 2 Lochgelly High School 3 Kirkcaldy H S 4 West Fife Schools.

Drum Majors 1 Andy Lyon Glenrothes & Dist 2 Mike Spain Kinross 3 Tony McBain Methil & Dist

March/Reel/Strathspey 1 Laini O'Neil 2 Robbie McIsaac 3 Harris McLennan 4 Ewan Cameron.

Adults Premier Overall 1 Rachael Walker Fettercairn.

16 yrs Premier Overall 1= Kirstin Stewart Leven & Kirsty Mackie Forfar.

13 yrs Premier Overall  1 Lauren Peggie Kirkcaldy

11 yrs Premier Overall 1 Selina Gordon Stonehaven

9 yrs Premier Overall 1 Christy Graham Dundee.