Entries rise by 33 percent for Senior Champs

Tuesday 9th August 2016

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

Grangemouth Stadium is the place to be for the Scottish Senior and Para Champs and the Scottish U17 champs this weekend in the highlight of the domestic track and field season.

And we’re absolutely delighted there has been a rise of 33 percent in the Senior entries – with close to 400 athletes on start-lists in one of the biggest entries in recent years.

No fewer than 380 athletes have put their names forward with 284 Senior entries received last year for Aberdeen.

Around 20 athletes who represented Scotland at Glasgow 2014 are making plans for Grangemouth and the figure of Scotland and GB international athletes rises to more than 30 when we take in Rio-bound Para athletes and recent GB internationals at Junior and Youth level.

So the stage is set for a great weekend with the athletics family in Scotland urged to come along on Saturday and Sunday to watch the action at Grangemouth or follow our live stream feed on the web via the coverage by www.runjumpthrow.com

There will also be comprehensive social media coverage, live results available online and great photographs from Bobby Gavin of www.thatonemoment.co.uk – with one or two updates from Rio in between doubtless also catching our attention!

Entry figures:

SM – 224; SW – 156; Total 380

U17M – 169; U17W – 152: Total 321

Total athletes entered: 701

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

Mark Munro – ‘Ultimately, athletics is about competition’

‘We are looking forward to an exciting weekend at Grangemouth with Scottish championship medals up for grabs for the Seniors and U17 athletes,’ said our Mark Munro, Head of Development and interim Chief Executive.

‘It is really good to see a very significant rise in entries for the Senior and Para Champs, following last year’s event in Aberdeen.

‘Often, and very deliberately, we put an important emphasis on making the leap from Junior to Senior – so thanks to the Seniors who have entered. To be getting close to 400 entered really is pleasing.

Ultimately, athletics is about competition and, as a governing body, we are always indebted to athletes, coaches, clubs and parents when they support National events.

‘Volunteers are vital, too, of course, and at this stage I want to wish our scottishathletics Officials all the best for what will be a busy period at Grangemouth over two weekends.

‘While it is natural there is a media focus on Rio – with the 15 Scots due to compete in the Olympics starting later this week – we know domestic attention will focus on the Scottish Champs.

‘I’m pleased to see a large number of Commonwealth Games athletes putting themselves forward for competition as that always helps raise the bar. Don’t forget, a year from now the Scottish Seniors will offer athletes the chance to post qualifying standards for Gold Coast 2016.

‘Our top Para athletes are supporting the event with four of the six selected for Rio – Maria Lyle, Stef Reid, Jo Butterfield and Sammi Kinghorn – shortly before they head to Brazil.’

The U17s join the Seniors for the first time at an outdoor track and field champs, with that change having been piloted for the Indoor Season earlier in 2016.

Numbers are down somewhat in the U17 category but are up slightly overall for the four age group categories, when we take in the August 20/21 event for U20, U15 and U13. One factor for the drop at U17 level may be that this year those athletes had a week less to enter because of the switch into the Seniors weekend.

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, Jo Butterfield, Maria Lyle, Mark Munro, Rio, Sammi Kinghorn, Scottish Senior and Para Champs, Scottish U17 Champs, Stef Reid