​Borderers rack up ten wins at Crieff Highland Gathering

​​Fletcher won from scratch over 1,600m and 3,200m, clocking 2:48.24 and 5:57.00 respectively, and also finished first in the Perth and Kinross games’ de’il-tak’-the-hindmost cycling competition.

He was one of eight Borderers to notch up wins at Crieff, with three fellow seniors coming up trumps in the day’s athletics classes and juniors from the region finishing first in all four youth races.

The Borders’ other senior winners included Kelso brothers John and Matthew Fleming.

The former won the 90m open sprint in 9.66 seconds, from a mark of 14m, and the latter won the 800m open in 1:58.57, from a 135m mark.

Selkirk’s Craig Bruce also won one of the day’s six senior races, finishing the 200m open in 21.94 seconds, from a mark of 22m, with his father Colin placing third in that event, from 47m.

Bruce was a runner-up to Glasgow’s Lorne Kerr in a 90m invitation sprint too, with Kelso’s Douglas Young placing third in that one. Kerr’s mark was 13.5m, Bruce’s 8m and Young’s 3m.

The region’s clean sweep of youth race wins was pulled off by Kelso’s Ben Nairn, Lucy Welsh and Harry Fleming and Hawick’s Craig Watson.

Nairn won over 90m in 10.6 seconds, from a mark of 12.5m, with Hawick’s Oliver McCraw second, from 7.5m, and Jedburgh’s Joe McDade third, from 21.5m.

Welsh’s win was over 200m in 21.83 seconds, from 60m, with fellow Kelso runners Reece Jackson and Nairn second and third, from 61m and 41m.

Fleming junior won over 1,600m in 4:15.54, from 480m, with brother Matty third, from 175m.

Watson won the 800m race for youths in 1:54.82, from 157.5m, with Kelso’s Rory Fleming second, from 200m, and Tweed Leader Jed Track’s Jack Laverty third, from 160m.

Their ten wins at Sunday’s gathering earned the region’s representatives there portions of a prize-pot totalling more than £10,000.

Fletcher landed prize-money of £200 for the 3,200m race, £150 for the 1,600m one and £75 for the other.

The biggest purse on offer for track and field events was the £450 picked up by John Fleming for winning the 90m open, with his brother Matthew pocketing £150 for finishing the 800m open first and £100 going to Craig Bruce for his 200m victory.

Nairn won the biggest youth prize, £75, with purses of £50 given to Welsh, Watson and Harry Fleming.