All roads lead to Grangemouth

Thursday 11th August 2016

Start-lists for Saturday and Sunday (link for Live Results)

Scotland vests, Scottish titles, championship medals, final place and PB performances.

All are on offer at Grangemouth this weekend as the Senior and Para Champs and Scottish U17 Champs take centre stage in a domestic sense for our community – just as the Olympic track and field action begins in Rio.

And there should be some exciting contests on show for those who come along to Grangemouth on Saturday and Sunday or watch our live coverage by Vincosport on the www.runjumpthrow.com platform.

There are around two dozen Commonwealth Games athletes on start-lists including 20 from Glasgow 2014 as well as the likes of Morag MacLarty, Alastair Hay, Gillian Cooke and Freya Ross as well as a host of GB internationals at various levels and four Para athletes bound for Rio next month; Sammi Kinghorn, Stef Reid, Jo Butterfield and Maria Lyle.

The Women’s Hammer event even includes the Hampden gold medallist – with Canadian Sultana Frizell set to make an appearance! That event already features all three Scots who threw at Glasgow 2014 – Susan McKelvie, Rachel Hunter and Myra Perkins.

In the men’s 400m, the entry list includes three of the 4 x 400m relay team from Hampden in Jamie Bowie, Greg Louden and Grant Plenderleith as well as Jake Wightman and Guy Learmonth and emerging youngster Lewis Brown.

Enjoy this special event preview from our pals at runjumpthrow.com to get you in the mood –

Allan Smith and David Smith are due to go head-to-head in the high jump with the women’s event featuring Scotland international Nikki Manson and defending champion Rachael Mackenzie likely to make a late decision on competing.

Nick Percy, British champion at discus and enjoying a remarkable 2016, will look for a throws double in the discus and the shot on Sunday.

And there will be plenty more to look out for in GB internationals at Youth and Junior level over the past couple of years in Alisha Rees, George Evans, Ben Greewnwood, Euan Gillham, Kelsey Stewart, Mhairi Hendry and Jack Lawrie.

Manchester International

Selections for the Manchester International next midweek are up for grabs for Scots who win their event and that may will ignite the ambitions of the likes of long jumper Allan Hamilton and 5000m runner Sean Fontana.

The U17 Age Group Champs are taking place alongside the Seniors and, while we’ve made that fixture switch in order to help with the schedule for the Age Groups, there’s definitely a feeling that it will do no harm for those teenagers to feel part of the main event and hopefully see the steps they can make in the next two or three years.

And there are also U13, U15 and U17 National 4 x 100m Relay Champs taking place at Grangemouth this weekend.

Four of our six Rio-bound Paralympians will be at Grangemouth

*Admission on Saturday and Sunday is £5 per adult (including a programme). scottishathletics Coaches are free admission with £2 for a programme. U16s are free.

Tags: Grangemouth, runjumpthrow.com, Scottish Senior and Para Champs, Scottish U17 Champs, Sultanna Frizell