Glasgow ready for Friday night athletics

Wednesday 22nd July 2015

Friday night action again – after two previous fine GAA meetings in Glasgow

Info, start-lists and timetable for Hutchesons

Scotland’s endurance community gathers again on Friday evening for the final meeting of the Glasgow Athletics Association Miler Meet series for 2015 – with almost 150 athletes lined up to tackle the 1500m distance.

They will do so with middle distance running on a high following recent performances in the metric mile by Laura Muir, Chris O’Hare, Neil Gourley, Josh Kerr, Kathryn Gillespie, Jake Wightman and Cameron Boyek.

A number of those athletes have featured in the recent past in the GAA Miler Meet nights, indoors and outdoors at various distances, and the popularity of Friday’s 15000/5000 races was proven emphatically when they were ‘sold out’ quicker than ever before with around 200 athletes listed to compete.

Muir and O’Hare on form in purple patch

Hutchesons Grammar School track in Glasgow is once again the venue for these paced races as the format of event-specific meetings proves attractive and successful in participation terms.

In the 5000m races, there are scottishathletics District Championship medals up for grabs and the likes of Murray Strain, Lachlan Oates, Scott McDonald, Calum Mckenzie, William Mackay, Fanny Gyurko, Mhairi MacLennan, Fiona Thompson, Kara Tait and Annabel Simpson are likely to be contenders to make the podium. The 5000m District Champs are Senior medals only.

There’s prize-money on offer, too, with the £400 bounty to be shared by the overall fastest in each of the men’s and women’s events IF they break the following targets: Men’s 1500 3.48, Women’s 4.18. Men’s 5000 14.20, Women’s 16.20.

The top 1500m race features the likes of Delhi Commonwealth Games representative, Alistair Hay; Craig Ruddy, Michael Ferguson, Edward Dudgeon and Gavin McArdle. And, with 17 athletes listed, the battle could be intense!

Among the best-ranked women set to race at 1500m are the likes of Maddie Murray, Kathryn Gillespie, Stephie Pennycook, Erin Wallace, Rebecca Burns and Gemma Cormack.

There are nine, packed 1500m races scheduled in total and it is good to see the depth of clubs represented from across Scotland. As well as those from the West region, the list includes the likes of Banchory Stonehaven, Fife AC, Aberdeen, Forres, Corstorphine AAC, Lasswade, Pitreavie AAC, Edinburgh AC and North Highland Harriers.

Admission on the night is £3 for adults with U16s free; athletes and coaches are free (with a £1 donation asked for refreshments wristband). The first race is at 7pm.

Please do encourage club-mates, training partners, friends and family to come along to Hutchesons in order to generate the best possible atmosphere to try and help people achieve PB performances.

Athletess should note you are asked to declare an hour before you are due to race with the last declarations at 7.20pm.

Check out Twitter on Friday @GAAMilerMeet and @scotathletics