Revised date confirmed for Grangemouth new year sprint set to be contested by 18 Borderers

A field of 63, including 18 Borderers, will be contesting this year’s 110m handicap sprint, originally scheduled for Sunday, January 5, but called off because of an unfavourable weather forecast for that weekend.

Among them is Hawick’s Ryan McMichan, winner of 2024’s sprint last January.

McMichan was the third representative of the region on the spin to win the sprint, following on from Scott Tindle, from Berwick but running for Tweed Leader Jed Track Athletics Club, at Musselburgh in 2023 and West Linton’s Stacey Downie in Edinburgh in 2022. He was also Hawick’s first winner since Dylan Ali in 2014.

His mark has been cut by 3m to 5.5m this time round, though, following his victory, clocking 11.35 seconds, in the sprint’s 155th edition since it was first run back in 1870 in Edinburgh, 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’s mark is the second-lowest of the 18 Borderers competing, the only shorter one being the 4m handicap allocated to Kelso’s Douglas Young.

The 19-year-old is one of six Hawick runners hoping to make next month’s final at Grangemouth Stadium after ten heats with fields of six or seven, with cross-ties to follow, the others being Ryan Elliot, given a mark of 9.5m; Jack Wilson, going from 15m; Daniel Paxton, from 16.5m; David Lauder, from 18.5m; and John Paxton from 24m.

TLJT will also be fielding six entries, 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 it to 2024’s final, placing fourth in 11.59 seconds.

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

The biggest mark for the sprint – offering a top prize of £6,000 this time round, an increase of £2,000 – is one of 36m for Edinburgh’s Thomas Bradley.

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

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

Douglas Young shares 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 sole 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, with entries totalling 320 all together.

McMichan is intending to run in 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.

Admission for spectators is £10 for those over the age of 16 and £5 for those under. For details, go to https://www.sientries.co.uk/event.php?elid=Y&event_id=14232