Hawick’s Ryan McMichan setting sights on second Grangemouth new year sprint win on bounce

The 19-year-old is one of 18 Borderers contesting the 110m handicap, to be run on Sunday, January 5, at 3.45pm at Grangemouth Stadium.

His mark has been cut by 3m to 5.5m, however, following his victory, in a time of 11.35 seconds, in the 155th running of the sprint, earning him the Eric Liddell Trophy and £4,000 in prize money.

That’s the seventh-lowest handicap, with only one runner going from scratch, London’s Krishawn Aiken.

McMichan was the third Borders runner on the bounce to win the sprint, following Scott Tindle, from Berwick but representing the region’s Tweed Leader Jed Track Athletics Club, at Musselburgh in 2023 and West Linton’s Stacey Downie in Edinburgh in 2022, as well as being Hawick’s first victor since Dylan Ali in 2014.

His mark is the second-lowest of the Borderers competing, the only shorter one being the 4m handicap given to Kelso’s Douglas Young.

McMichan is one of six Hawick runners bidding to make the final after ten heats with fields of six or seven, with cross-ties to follow, the others being Ryan Elliot, going from 9.5m; Jack Wilson, from 15m; Daniel Paxton, from 16.5m; David Lauder, from 18.5m; and John Paxton from 24m.

TLJT will also be fielding six entries this time round – with Gordon Armstrong going from 5.75m, Iskan Barskanmay from 10.5m, Danny Allison from 12.5m, Evie Renwick from 15.5m and Tess Renwick from 17m – and they’ll be accompanied by former member Sarah Ross, handicapped at 27m.

Armstrong was the only other Borderer besides McMichan to make this year’s final, placing fourth in 11.59 seconds.

Selkirk will be represented by three runners – with Craig Bruce given a mark of 10m, his dad Colin one of 21m and Geoff Keen going from 22m – and Jedburgh by two, Scott Elliot and Zoe Blair, handicapped at 20m and 23.5m respectively.

The biggest mark for the sprint, offering a top prize of £6,000 this time round, is one of 36m for Edinburgh’s Thomas Bradley.

McMichan will go up against two fellow Hawick runners, Ryan Elliot and Jack Wilson, in his heat, along with TLJT’s Evie Renwick.

Gordon Armstrong will contest a heat alongside clubmate Iskan Barskanmay, Sarah Ross and Jedburgh’s Scott Elliot.

Douglas Young will share a heat with David Lauder and Colin Bruce, Daniel and John Paxton are in the same heat, Danny Allison will be up against runners including Zoe Blair, but Craig Bruce is the only Borderer in his heat, as are Geoff Keen and Tess Renwick.

The sprint final will be preceded by an undercard including 90m masters and ladies’ races; youth handicaps over 90m, 200m and 800m; and open handicaps over 200m, 400m, 800m and 1,500m.

McMichan is intending to contest the 200m and 400m opens as well as the main event.

The former will see him go up against a field of 35 featuring Douglas Young, Gordon Armstrong, John Fleming, Evie and Tess Renwick, Daniel Paxton, Jack Wilson, David Lauder and Kelso’s Ruby Laing.

The latter’s field of 23 also includes Craig and Colin Bruce, Michael Lewis and Ruby Laing.

Hawick’s Robbie and Irvine Welsh are among a field of 21 for the 800m open, with Matty and Matthew Fleming and Sarah Ross also among them.

The Welshes and Flemings are among 16 entries for the 1,500m open, along with Hawick’s Thomas MacAskill and Kelso’s Colin Welsh, Fraser Neil, Paul Dumma and Michael Lewis.

Iskan Barskanmay, Gala’s Ron Sutherland, Geoff Keen, David Lauder and John Paxton are among 20 runners planning to contest the masters’ race and Evie and Tess Renwick and Zoe Blair will be lining up in a dozen-strong field for the ladies’ 90m.