THE whispers have been circulating for a while, writes John Slorance.
Come late Saturday afternoon, however, they will have stopped. All the talking about who is going to win the prestigious Jedburgh Games 110m handicap will be finished.
Instead, an athlete will be shouting from the rooftops to tell one and all that they had lifted the biggest purse on the summer open athletic season by far.
For the Jed-Forest sprint is worth £3,000, plus all the glory that goes along with it.
Jedburgh itself has produced a crop of sprint winners this season.
Another could well be added to this list as the forthcoming Riverside Park meeting has several Jed sprinters in with a good chance of tasting glory on their home track.
Although yet to break the tape in a final recently, Seb Harrison (4m), Iskan Barskanmay (4m), Cameron Grieve (8m) and Darren Tomlinson (12m) from Jed AC could be there or thereabouts.
Earlston Games winner Luke Lowther (17m) and Peebles Beltane Sports 110m victor Scott Richardson (6m), who are also from the Jed AC/Brian ‘Chico’ Woods camp, are also liable to show up well.
TLJT men, Craig Grieve (3m), Greg Turnbull (0.5m), Darrin Scott (7m) and Paul Ferguson (7.5m) could make their mark for the Burgh town as well.
The sprint, however, is a wide-open affair and anything could happen.
Amongst those worth keeping an eye on are Martyn Paterson of Clackmanan (3m), Sean Harris of Edinburgh (4.5m), Steven Charters of Dolphinton (3m) and Dylan Ali of Hawick (8m). Back marker for the event is Craig Fleming of Belgrave AC, who runs from scratch.
With £50 up for grabs for heat winners, the sprint has all the makings of conjuring up some exciting running.
Former Jed sprint winner John Steede will not be joining the 74 runners who have signed up for the main event, but is looking to his athletes to challenge the main contenders.
“Top athletes from all over the country come down to Jed for the sprint, not only for the prize money, but because it is such a historic race.
“Nothing would give me greater pleasure than seeing a local runner take the prize.”
The remainder of the Jedburgh card fits into the same mould.
A Border Athletic 100m championship and senior, junior and youths’ events. You name it, and it’s going to be happening.
The games commence at 10.30am and close at noon for a break.
The meeting then resumes at 1.30pm when the games will be opened by Jedburgh man Dougie Young, who boxed for Great Britain in the Olympic Games in 1984 in Los Angeles.
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