There has been triumphs across the board for the athletics club this year, with some standout performances from sprinters, cross-country runners, and those competing in field events.
Although the club is a large unit, boasting sixty-seven members, it is split into two sections for training and competitive purposes – track and field, and endurance.
The track and field team have posted a number of personal bests and medal-winning performances this year.
At the Scottish University Athletics Championships, Anna Forbes won gold in the high jump. Ewan McArthur and Mark Mclachlan both came home with bronze medals, in the 200m and the 400m respectively.
The teams also performed well in the relays, winning one silver and three bronze medals across different distances.
And in the BUCS championships, the teams had athletes reaching the semi-finals, which is great for club dynamic.
Track and field captain Callum Letham said “it’s been a good year for track and field. There’s been a good atmosphere at training with more people turning up regularly. BUCS was a good experience for everyone going, with lots of our athletes giving personal best performances.”
On the endurance side, the most impressive performances came at the BUCS cross-country championships down in Exeter, where more than 2500 student athletes competed across the women’s race, and the men’s A and B races.
Rebecca Craig almost broke the top 100 in the woman’s race, coming in 101st place. Meanwhile, in the men’s A race, Hamish Hickey ran impressively to finish inside the top fifty.
And at the Scottish Universities Cross-Country Championships, the men’s team emerged with a bronze medal.
The National Cross-Country Championships saw Hamish Hickey win bronze in the men’s under 20s race, while Lauren McCulloch just missed out on a medal, coming fourth in the women’s race.
The club’s president-elect Andrew Irvine said that something he really pushed for in the club this year was higher participation. “I wanted to see us take part in more races, which we have done, alongside hosting our annual fresher’s match cross-country race.”
This year, the club have taken part in National Relays and the National Short Course race, and other events which they have never competed in before.
While many of the club’s members are training for marathons and half-marathons, there are also a number of events coming up before the end of the semester, such as the Dumyat Hill Race, which is a popular fixture on the hill-running calendar.
Irvine said “it’s great to see that our members are showing interest in local events. A lot of our members have upped their mileage quite considerably this year, so long distance races are achievable.”
The committee feel that the sports union have approached the club with a more positive attitude recently. “We’ve definitely seen an improvement when working with them this year,” said Irvine.
Last year, the club had problems with training cancellations because the running track pitch was being used, but this has not been an issue this year.
The president-elect is hopeful that the club will progress positively next year, despite many members graduating, which he says “will leave a hole in the club.” After pushing on recruitment this year, however, they will be looking to build on this year’s successes come September.
We’re bringing you season summary pieces for sports teams all across the university, so check back at 2PM every day for another edition of Bleed Green Round-Up.
Fourth-year BA (Hons) Journalism Studies student.
News Editor, Sports Editor and Head of Proofreading for Brig Newspaper.
You must log in to post a comment.