ATHLETICS

On the anniversary of the first Scot to break the four-minute barrier for the mile, there was a record field of runners competing over the distance at the final Ravenscraig Park Race of the summer. It was 16 years after Roger Bannister’s historic run that Mike Berisford clocked three minutes 59.2 seconds competing at the White City Stadium in London on August 18 1961. Albeit slightly slower but over a more demanding course, the Kirkcaldy race saw the start delayed 15 minutes as a record 126 runners tested themselves over the classic distance teaming up for a 2 x one mile relay. Carnegie’s Roger Clark headed a desperate scramble for the line following the opening stage, a stride ahead of club colleague Stuart Mackay, Stuart Tite (Fife AC) and Harvey Rankin (Leven Las Vegas). Rankin handed over to Ben Hukins and it was no surprise when last week’s Ceres ‘8’ and Balmullo Trail Race winner ground out a nine seconds advantage to complete the circuit in four minutes 46 seconds, a total aggregate of 9 minutes 46 seconds. Placing 14th overall, Dundee Road Runners Gillian Sangster and Rosie Doull made a successful defence of their women’s title with Doull the fastest female of the night timed at 5 minutes 43 seconds. Kirkcaldy East councillor Kay Carrington presented the prizes. Leading results: 1 H Rankin/B Hukins (Leven Las Vegas) 9.46, 2 S Tite/R Lafferty (Fife AC) 9.57, 3 R Clark/P Kieran (Carnegie) 1st veterans. 10.00, 4 S Mackay/M Butcher (Carnegie) 10.03, 5 J McIntyre/D Newman (Fife AC) 2nd veterans. 10.46, 6 A Cargill/A O’Connor (Leven Las Vegas) 10.56, 7 J Cassells/W Rennie (Carnegie) 3rd veterans 11.02, 8 Kristin Lownie/A Smith (Carnegie) 1st mixed. 11.05….11 J Hynd/I Johnston (Carnegie) 1st over 50. 11.23, 13 Jane Dunlop/M Low (Dundee RR) 2nd mixed 11.28, 20 Kerry Gibson/A Gibson (Fife AC) 3rd mixed. 11.53, 52 B Simpson (Anster Haddies)/G Bennison (Fife AC) 1st over 60. 14.43. Women. 1 G Sangster/R Doull (Dundee RR) 11.30, 2 H Kirkwood/V Wright (VP Glasgow) 1st junior. 11.59, 3 J Wilson/M Sinclair (Carnegie) 12.15, 4 M Western/I Burnett (Carnegie) 1st over 50. 12.20, 5 H Brown/R McNab (Fife AC) 2nd junior. 12.50, 6 C Ritchie/A Dalglish (Fife AC) 3rd junior. 13.08, 7 I Smith/G Murdoch (Carnegie) 13.45, 8 I Bracegirdle/M Martin (Fife AC) 2nd over 50. 13.54.

Picture: Pete Bracegirdle. First leg runners get under way at Ravenscraig Park, Kirkcaldy.