Remembering the legend of Jimmie Guthrie in fine style

The 55th annual Jimmie Guthrie Memorial Run for vintage motorcycles and cars took place on Sunday, June 19, starting and finishing in Denholm.

The event was established to commemorate the accomplishments of the Hawick-born motorbike star, famous for 19 Grand Prix wins and three victories in the North West 200, and half a dozen victories at the Isle of Man TT Races. He died while competing int he German Grand Prix in 1937.

And taking the reins for the 55th time was veteran organiser Jimmy Steel, who described the running of the event as “just a way of life”.

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The remarkable record has seen Jimmy start organising the next year’s run the day after it as over since 1962.

He told us on Monday: “I’ve already written the letter to book the village green for 2017. It’s a lot of work, but it’s a joy to do ... it’s just a way of life.”

A grand total of 135 riders started the run, which takes participants fromDenholm, through to Ancrum, Harestanes, Oxnam, Camptown Jedburgh and Hawick.

Jimmie said: “It was a really good day. Unfortunately we did get caught out by one rain shower during the prizegiving, but it was better than the weather that was forecast.

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“There was a large crowd at the Green, which was helped by the car boot sale.”

Jimmy also revealed he keeps Jimmie’s son – known as “young Jimmie”, now aged 78, up to date with how the memorial run is going by sending a copy of the Hawick News to his home in in South Africa.

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