Borderers go for gold at double at masters athletics championships
Gala Harriers over-55 Julia Johnstone and Tweed Leader Jed Track over-40 Iskan Barskanmay both won gold medals at the double in their age brackets at the weekend’s Scottish Athletics combined events and masters championships at Grangemouth.
Johnstone’s first gold arrived in Saturday’s 800m race after clocking a time of 2:42.54 and her second followed later that same day over 1,500m in 5:25.22.
Her 1,500m time makes her Britain’s third-fastest woman of 55 to 59 so far this year over that distance and she’s seventh speediest over 800m, as well as being quickest in Scotland over both distances.
Johnstone was fifth overall in a combined field of 11 for the 800m race, with first place going to Edinburgh over-35 Kirsty Macaulay in 2:22.53, and went on to place second of six over 1,500m, with Macaulay, representing Corstorphine Amateur Athletic Club, again claiming pole position, that time round in 4:55.51.
TLJT’s Barskanmay also won two gold medals in his 40-44 age class, over 100m and 200m, on Saturday.
He clocked 11.80 seconds to finish seventh in a combined field of 40 over 100m, won overall by Renfrewshire over-35 Nicky Cowan in 11.53, and 24.31 over twice that distance to end up third of 32, with Aberdeenshire over-35 Ryan Oswald winning all together in 23.67.