Third Hawick Border Games 1,600m win on bounce for home-town runner Robbie Welsh

Welsh clocked a time of 4:35.70, from a mark of 20m, to keep up his winning streak at the town’s Hawick and Wilton Cricket Club in Buccleuch Road.

That followed times of 4:33.93, from 70m, last year and 4:40.88, from 90m, in 2023.

Moorfoot Runners’ Charlotte Clare placed second after being given a mark of 200m.

Hawick’s Rory Anderson, winner of that race in 2022 in 4:55.78, from 65m, with Welsh as runner-up, had to settle for third place this time round, going from 10m.

Welsh’s win was one of three for home-town runners in Sunday’s six senior races, the others being for Jessica Smith in the 800m open and Kyle Potts over half that distance.

Smith’s winning time was 1:56.35, from a 185m mark, and Potts clocked 53.77 seconds, from 27m.

Tweed Leader Jed Track’s Sarah Ross and Kevin Wood were second and third respectively over 800m, both going from 160m.

County Durham’s Jason Catterall was second over 400m, from 65m, and Hawick’s Mark Young third, from 24m.

Kelso’s Douglas Young won the 110m open in 11.98 seconds after being handicappped at 1.75m, his first win in that race since 2022.

Fellow AG Running School representative John Fleming was third, from 13m, sandwiching Edinburgh’s John Armstrong, runner-up from a mark of 14.5m.

An invitation 100m sprint was won by Jedburgh’s Zoe Blair in 11.37 seconds, from a mark of 20.5m, with Kelty’s James Beattie second, from 13m, and TLJT’s Rojin Barskanmay third, from 18m.

Victory in the day’s other senior race, the 200m open, went to Edinburgh’s Graeme Armstrong in 23.05 seconds, from a 41m mark.

TLJT’s Craig Tindle, winner of the 100m youth championship, was second, from 14m, and Beattie third, from 38m.

Three of the day’s five youth races were won by Hawick athletes, including Welsh’s younger brother McLaren over 800m, in 2:00.43, from a 195m mark, also landing an award for best performance of the day by a local competitor.

Teviotdale Harriers’ Greg Watson was runner-up, from 60m, and Kelso’s Evie Leonard third, from 150m, but the former fared better over 400m, winning in 50.75 seconds, from a mark of 63m.

Edinburgh’s Harry Lauder was second in that race, from 39m, with Kelso’s Rose Davidson third, from 84m.

Sunday’s other young home-town success stiory was Abigail McCraw in the 90m sprint, clocking 10.26 seconds, from a 20m mark, with Lauder second, from 11m, and TLJT’s Amy Fenton third, from 20m.

Tindle’s winning time in the youths’ 100m scratch race was 12.44 seconds, with Hawick’s Oliver McCraw and Oliver Fenech respectively second and third.

Jedburgh’s Robyn Cook won the youths’ 200m race in 21.56 seconds, from a 54m mark, with Leonard and AG Running School clubmate Emmy Utterson second and thkird, from 36m and 48m.

Selkirk’s Philiphaugh cricket club hosts round three of this year’s games this coming Saturday, with round four following at Kelso on Sunday, June 29.

July brings three more rounds – at Jedburgh on Saturday the 12th, Innerleithen on Saturday the 19th and Langholm on Friday the 25th – and Morebattle’s games conclude proceedings on Saturday, August 9.