Games firsts at double for Borderers in Fife and Falkirk

Walker won a 3,200m open at Airth, near Falkirk, in 9:42.63, from a mark of 185m, and went on to finish first over the same distance in Fife a day later in 9:37.53, from 240m.

Whiteford’s first-placed finishes were over 1,600m on Saturday in 4:12.22, from 210m, and 800m on Sunday in 1:53.31, from 125m.

They were among four Borderers to chalk up senior victories at Airth, with Hawick’s Mark Young coming out on top over 800m in 1:58.25, from 57.5m, and Kelso’s Lewis Fleming doing likewise over 400m in 47.93 second, from a 50m mark, and three at St Andrews, the other being Hawick’s Irvine Welsh over 1,600m in 4:22.16, from 175m.

Walker was also among the senior winners elsewhere in Fife six days prior, at 2026’s Burntisland Highland Games, clocking 10:01.03 for the 3,200m open there, handicapped at 200m, and the same went for Whiteford in Argyll and Bute the day after, winning the 1,600m open at Inveraray Highland Games in an unrecorded time, from 210m.

A further win went Walker’s way at Mull Highland Games last Thursday, in a one-mile handicap in 4m 36.97, as one of two representatives of the region to claim podium top spots, the other being Colin Bruce in a 220-yard open in 23.60 seconds, from 44m.

Two out of three youth races at Airth were won by Borderers – Kelso’s Harry Fleming over 200m in 21.53 seconds, from 58m, and Hawick’s Freya Walker over 800m in 1:58.78, from 215m.

The same went for three out of five junior races at St Andrews, with Kelso’s Ben Nairn and Evie Leonard winning over 90m in 10.09 seconds, from 5m, and 800m for girls in 2:03.09, from 130m, and Hawick’s Connor Davidson opver 1,600m in 4:30.66, from 330m.

It also went for all three youngsters’ races at Burntisland, with Nairn crossing the line first over 90m in 9.91 seconds, from 5.5m; his Addie Gray Running School clubmate Reece Jackson doing likewise over 200m in 22.53, from 48m; and Hawick’s Struan Linton taking top spot over 800m in 2:03.97, from 165m.