Kilbarchan AAC runners strike gold in final race
Kilbarchan AAC ended the track and field season in style after sealing a sensational men’s double at their Linwood base.
More than 3,000 athletes and spectators attended the 4J Studios National Relays, the last track and field event of the Scottish season.
National Championship action has only returned this year after the pandemic made it impossible for scottishathletics to host medal opportunities under fair conditions during an unsurprisingly difficult 2020 season.
For Kilbarchan AAC there really was no better way to finish the season in Scotland than by hosting the National Relays, with a truly remarkable turnout of 384 teams entering.
The blue ribbon events of the day were the men’s 4x100m and 4x400m.
And hosts Kilbarchan beat a strong path to the podium as they savoured a senior men’s double by winning gold in both the 4x100m and 4x400m.
The talented team of Kade Thomas, Krishawn Aiken, Stephen Dunlop and Drew Yeoman finished in 42.18 to win the 4x100m showdown from VPGlasgow and Kilmarnock Harriers.
And later a quartet of Michael Cairns, Stephen Johnston, Connor Henderson and Krishawn Aiken clocked an impressive 3:18.96 to win from Dundee Hawkhill Harriers and Livingston AC.
The Kilbarchan women’s 4x100m team of Erin McCorgray, Emma Devine, Rachel Muir and Ola Zurakowska battled their way through heats, semifinal and final to finish in sixth place in 54.06.
That race was eventually won by Giffnock North.
The only success for the local club in the 3x800m relays came in the Under-15 girls.
The trio of Zara Redmond, Romy
MacInnes and Amy Teasdale took the bronze medal in a race won by Pitreavie.
Colin Hutchison, chief executive of scottishathletics, thanked all the clubs from throughout Scotland who took part.
He also congratulated the host club Kilbarchan AAC and Renfrewshire Leisure for providing the facilities that helped make the day such an unmitigated success.
Kilbarchan AAC’s John Rodger said: “We were delighted to host the event and it certainly felt as if a huge percentage of the track and field community gathered together to fight for places in finals, PB splits and, of course, those precious medals.”
As the track and field season draws to a close the club’s attention now turns to cross country.
The first scheduled events are the West District Relays in early October at Alexandra Park Golf Course, followed by the Scottish Relays at Scone Palace.