​Kelso’s Matty Fleming steps up from junior 1,600m win to senior at Innerleithen’s St Ronan’s Border Games

​Victory in Saturday’s mile race at the town’s Victoria Park went to the youngster, going from a mark of 200m, in a time of four minutes and 30.23 seconds, earning a prize money of £120.

That was over half a minute faster than the time of 5:00.92, from 60m, that saw the AG Running School competitor win the junior version last time round and a fraction of a second faster than the 4:30.94 his father Matthew clocked, from a mark of 235m, to win last year’s senior 1,600m.

His dad, now handicapped at 265m, had to make do with third place on Saturday and Hawick’s Mark Young, third in last year’s miler from 80m, was second this time round from 70m.

Young was also runner-up over 800m, from 45m, with top spot going to fellow Hawick runner Sean Linton in 1:59.71, from 75m. Kyle Potts completed a clean sweep of podium places for their mutual home-town by placing third, from 70m.

Selkirk’s Geoff Keen was also among Saturday’s five senior winners, finishing the 200m open first in 22.65 seconds, from a 34m mark, with Hawick’s David Lauder second, from 30m, and Tweed Leader Jed Track’s Gordon Armstrong third, from 6m.

The biggest purse of the day, £600, plus the Dickie Lees Memorial Trophy, went to Glasgow’s Gkontouin Imante for winning the 100m open in 10.68 seconds, from a mark of 50cm. Rosyth’s Jack Beattie was runner-up, from 18m, with TLJT’s Danny Allison third, from 9.5m.

An invitation race over the same distance was won by Imante’s Shetteleston Harriers teammate Emmanuel Nyamekye in 10.96 seconds, from a 5.5m mark. TLJT’s Evie Renwick was second, from 12m, and Tanatorn Longiamnon, another Shettleston Harrier, third, from 4m.

Eight youth races were run too, with 2025’s 1,600m being won by Teviotdale Harriers’ Greg Watson in 4:49.34, from a 160m mark, with Kelso’s Oliver Hastie second, from scratch, and TLJT’s Rosa Mabon third, from 250m.

Another Hawick runner, Alfie Walker, won the youths’ half-mile race, clocking 1:57.35, from 145m, to claim the Craig Angus Memorial Trophy. Kelso’s Martha Davies-Walker was second, from 230m, and Walkerburn’s Harry Aitken third, from 90m.

A confined race over the same distance for youths from Innerleithen, Walkerburn, Traquair and Cardrona was won by TLJT’s Lewis Gaffney in 1:59.08, from 240m. Walkerburn’s Harry Aitken was second, from 90m, and Innerleithen’s Myles Oliphant third, from 205m.

Four of the five other children’s races were split into two groups, with TLJT’s Amy Fenton and Innerleithen’s Henry Keen winning over 90m, in 10.01 seconds from 20m and 10.09 from 23m respectively, and Gala Harriers’ James Cockburn and Innerleithen’s Finlay McFarlane over 200m, in 23.58 seconds from 8m and 23.92 from 48m.

Cockburn also won a confined youth race over 200m in 24.43 seconds, from 18m, with McFarlane second and Innerleithen’s Darcy Sharp third.

Innerleithen’s games were round six of this season, with Langholm’s following this Friday and Morebattle’s concluding proceedings on Saturday, August 9.

Entries for Morebattle’s games close on Sunday. To enter online, go to https://www.entrycentral.com/bordersathletics