SATS the Scottish Association of Track Statisticians

KIRSTY COSTELLO NETS FIRST OUTDOOR RECORD OF 2019

17 April 2019. Last weekend saw the setting of the first outdoor record (*) of the season and it went to a young athlete not unfamiliar to record-breaking.

Kirsty Costello of Kilbarchan AAC bettered her own under-17 hammer throw record with a throw of 62.85 at the Alan Bertram Memorial Event at Loughborough on Saturday.

Last year, she twice broke Myra Perkins' record of 59.25 with throws of 60.49 and 60.52 and she has now added over 2 metres to that record.

Kirsty also holds the under-15 record where she set 5 records with the 3kg hammer improving the age-group record from 51.91 metres to 57.83.

* record subject to application form and paperwork being submitted and approved.

KIRSTEN McASLAN SIGNS UP FOR EDINBURGH AC

28 March 2019. Edinburgh AC have bolstered their team for this year's UK Women's League campaign with the signings of Scottish internationalists Kirsten McAslan and Mhairi Patience. Kirsten, pictured by Bobby Gavin on her way to her Scottish title last year, follows a family tradition with father and uncles having been Edinburgh AC athletes.

These are the two big names in this month's changes of club that have been approved by scottishathletics with effect from 1 April 2019. The full list is:

James Beattie, Falkirk Victoria Harriers to Lothian RC; Kirsten Bowie, Elgin AAC to Livingston AC; Sarah Burns, Corstorphine AC to Edinburgh AC; Michael Cairns, Kilbarchan AAC to Glasgow City AC; Rhea Campbell, Giffnock North AC to VP Glasgow AC; Charlotte Clare, Moorfoot Runners to Lasswade AC; Oliver Coghlan, Dunbar RC to Team East Lothian; James Grant, Strathearn Harriers to Perth Strathtay Harriers; Gregory Hoggan, Musselburgh & Dist AC to Team East Lothian; Kayleigh Jarrett, Metro Aberdeen RC to Elgin AAC; Max Mayer, Musselburgh AC to Edinburgh AC; Kirsten McAslan, Sale Harriers to Edinburgh AC; Courtney Moffat, Livingston AC to Lothian RC; Alun Myers, Victoria Park & Mile End Club to Inverclyde AC; Mhairi Patience, VP Glasgow AC to Edinburgh AC; Jamie Smith, Musselburgh & Dist AC to Team East Lothian; Nina Walsh-Kirk, Stewartry AC to Annan & Dist AC; Brodie Wright, VP Glasgow AC to Motherwell AC.

WEBSITE ANNOUNCEMENT

7 March 2019. The website will not be updated for the next two weeks as I am away on holiday!

I have, however, added a number of items which I hope will be of interest-

The annual rankings have now been updated for the 2018 junior men and women's age-groups.

The records section now has pages covering Scottish holders of British records over the years, senior men and women, outdoors and indoors.

And the British Championships page now has a record of all Scottish athletes who have won medals at recognised British senior championships from 1866 to the current day.

DOUBLE DOUBLE EUROPEAN GLORY FOR LAURA MUIR

"As soon as I walked out I felt like ´yeah, this is home´. I have run on this track hundreds, if not thousands of times, so I just felt as if I could do what I normally do here, and that was enough to win. The first 1k wasn´t too bad, but it did pick up after that. At halfway it was a good split. So I´m really happy with the time. To win with a championships record, and to do it here, is a dream. Now I will try and recover before the 1500m final -- lots of ice baths, massage and rest. But I´ve got about 40 hours, so I know should be fine. My Mum, my Gran and all the aunties, uncles and family friends were here. It was hard to get them all tickets. My Gran is always there when I have not done so well, so this is the first time she has seen me win a medal. The field was very strong and the girls gave me a great race. I certainly thought I had a lot of pressure competing in front of the home crowd and then adding on the double. I just put my head down and gave it absolutely everything I had." (Laura Muir)

ATHLETES ON THE MOVE: March Club Changes

The following changes of club have been approved by scottishathletics with effect from 1 March 2019:

David Agnew, Pitreavie AAC to Dunfermline T&F AC; Lewis Bell, Gala Harriers to Dundee Hawkhill Harriers; Magnus Bryce, Central AC to VP Glasgow AC; Keith Bonthrone, Falkland Trail Runners to Fife AC; Jade Gray, Hamilton & District AC to Larkhall YMCA Harriers; Sharon Grierson, Livingston AC to Lasswade AC; Cameron Harris, Central AC to Livingston AC; Kate Harvie, Moorfoot Runners to Lasswade AC; David Henderson, Pitreavie AAC to PH Racing Club; Tia Henry Livingston AC to Pitreavie AAC; Michael McConnell, Perth Road Runners to PH Racing Club; Alasdair MacNair, Wee County Harriers to Central AC; Calum Ross, Lothian RC to Falkirk Victoria Harriers; Peter Tucker, Blackheath & Bromley Harriers AC to Inverclyde AC; Amanda Wallis, Aberdeen AAC to Metro Aberdeen; Michael Ward, Black Pear Joggers to Lothian RC.

9 SCOTS IN BRITISH TEAM FOR EUROPEAN INDOOR CHAMPS

The British team selected for the European Indoor Championships has been announced today and contains 9 Scottish members:-

800: Guy Learmonth (Lasswade). 1500: Neil Gourley (Giffnock North). 3000: Andrew Butchart (Central) & Chris O'Hare (Edinburgh). W400 & 4x400: Zoey Clark (Thames Valley) and Eilidh Doyle (Pitreavie). 1500: Laura Muir (Dundee Hawkhill) and Jemma Reekie (Kilbarchan). 3000: Eilish McColgan (Dundee Hawkhill) & Laura Muir (Dundee Hawkhill).

The total of 9 betters the previous highest number of Scots in the team - 6 at Prague in 2015 and at Belgrade in 2017. Other observations - 8 of the 9 are first claim for Scottish clubs; no field representation; and Josh Kerr, who could have put it into double figures, was unavailable due to exams in the USA.

SCOTTISH RECORDS TUMBLE TO LAURA MUIR & JOSH KERR

16 February 2019. In a great day for Scottish 1500 metres/mile running, Laura Muir captured the British mile record and improved her own 1500 record at Birmingham's Muller Grand Prix, while Josh Kerr set his first senior record with a new national 1500 mark.

Paced through 409m (1:07.69) and 809m (2:12.37), Muir was alone in front for the second half of the race but kept churning out the 32-second laps. The clock showed 3:47.97 as Muir embarked on her final lap, needing 36 seconds for the last 200 to beat the British record. She went far faster, running 30.78, and reached the finish in a world-leading 4:18.75, the third-fastest indoor mile of all time. Her 1500m split of 4:01.84 was also an improvement on her own British indoor record of 4:02.39. Her mile though slashed 13.25 seconds from Yvonne Murray's indoor record of 4:32.00.

Josh Kerr found himself in an astonishing race as the runners were paced through 400m in 55.69 and 800m in 1:52.70. Yomif Kejelcha, who last week came within 0.01 of the world indoor mile record at the Millrose Games, a race in which Josh was fourth, was targeting the world record and reached 1200m in 2:49.28 with fellow Ethiopian Samuel Tefera close behind and it was Tefera who kicked home to win in 3:31.04, improving Hicham El Guerrouj's 1997 record,by 0.14. Josh was the leading Brit in 4th place, his time of 3:35.72 breaking Chris O'Hare's Scottish record of 3:37.03. British 3000 champion O'Hare was next in 3:37.42 and Neil Gourley smashed his indoor PB in 8th (3rd Brit) in 3:38.32.

MID DISTANCE SUCCESS AT BRITISH INDOOR CHAMPS

11 February 2009. The British Indoor Championships at Birmingham at the weekend provided a showcase for Scotland's middle-distance runners, with all the 1500 metres and 3000 metres races falling to Scots.

Laura Muir set the ball rolling on the Saturday with a 3000 victory in 8:48.03 after Beth Potter led through 1000 and 2000 on her way to a 9:02.06 PB in fourth. It was Laura's 5th indoor title, equalling the record held by Rosemary Stirling and Geoff Parsons.

Chris O'Hare had never won an indoor title at 1500m, but he remedied that at 3000 metres by getting the better of Charlie Grice and Andy Butchart to win in 7:52.86. Neil Gourley won his first title, taking the 1500m in 3:44.76 and Jemma Reekie continued her fine form from last year with a comfortable 1500m win in 4:17.08, Kerry MacAngus setting a new PB of 4:20.25 in 4th.

Scottish athletes have a good record in the women's 400 metres as well and Zoey Clark (pictured) became the fifth Scots winner in 7 years with a 52.82 victory in a close finish for the places that saw Eilidh Doyle edged into fourth.

There was an eighth senior medal for Guy Learmonth (silver) in the 800 metres, just one short of the record nine achieved by high jumpers Geoff Parsons and Crawford Fairbrother.

Adam Thomas, who missed last season through injury, won silver in a blanket finish in the 60 metres, where 0.05 covered the top six, becoming the 3rd fastest Scot of all time with his 6.63 semi final win, and Nikki Manson was the only Scottish medal-winner in the field events, third in the high jump in 1.80 metres, beating Emma Nuttall on countback.

For a history of all the Scottish medal winners at these championships, follow these links for the men and the women.

DAWN FLOCKHART, 1967-2019

It is always sad when news comes out of the death of an athlete but even more so when that athlete passes at such a young age. Dawn Flockhart, after a brave battle against cancer, has passed away at the tragically early age of 51.

Dawn was one of Scotland's leading sprinters throughout the 1980s and into the mid-nineties. She was an outstandingly talented young athlete, setting an under-15 200 metres record of 24.63 seconds in 1981 which still stands 38 years later. Her all-time career best of 23.71 still ranks in the top 20 Scots of all time. She never won a senior title but was a medallist on 13 occasions, winning 4 silver medals and 9 bronze medals. She represented Scotland in 8 international matches and ran for Great Britain against Yugoslavia in 1984 as a member of the 4x100 metres relay team. She won a bronze medal as part of the GB 4x400 team at the European Junior Championships in 1985 where she was 5th in the 200 metres.

A member of Edinburgh Southern Harriers/Edinburgh Woollen Mill, her career bests were 7.72 (60m), 11.80 (100m), 23.71 (200m), 54.4 (400m) and she even tried her hand at triple jump with a legal best of 10.90.

Since 2002, Dawn had been working and studying with some of the most renowned Neuro Linguistic Programming trainers in the world and was an extensively qualified Licensed NLP Trainer & High Performance Coach. She was also a qualified hypnotherapist/psychotherapist and a certified yoga teacher. She had a scientific background with a Degree in Computing Science and a teaching qualification from the University of Cambridge.

She will be sorely missed by so many. Our condolences go out to family, friends and colleagues.

Dawn Marie Flockhart, b. 16 May 1967; d. 4 February 2019.

FEBRUARY TRANSFERS AS KATY BROWN JOINS GIFFNOCK

The latest club moves see Scottish indoor 1500 metres champion, Katy Brown, join Giffnock North. The following changes of club have been approved by scottishathletics with effect from 1 February 2019:

Katy Barden, Bromsgrove & Redditch AC to Gala Harriers; Katy Brown, Stewartry AC to Giffnock North AC; Craig Eaglesham, Inverclyde AC to North Ayrshire AC; Scott Hannaway, Inverclyde AC to Greenock Glenpark Harriers; Malcolm Lang, Lothian RC to Corstorphine AAC; Megan Lang, Lothian RC to Corstorphine AAC; Jamie Lessels, Fife AC to Falkland Trail Runners; Alexander MacKay, Ross County AC to Inverness Harriers; Mark Magee, Inverclyde AC to Greenock Glenpark Harriers; Scott McCluckie, Inverclyde AC to Greenock Glenpark Harriers; Alison McGill, Fife AC to PH Racing Club; Drew McIntyre, Inverclyde AC to Greenock Glenpark Harriers; Emma Murray, Garioch RR to JSK Running Club; Tony Quinn, Kirkintilloch Olympians to PH Racing Club; Liam Sleigh, Corstorphine AAC to Fife AC; Rachel Wardrope, East Kilbride AC to Cambuslang Harriers; Harriet Woodland-Broome, Edinburgh AC to Corstorphine AAC.

NIKKI JOHNSTONE'S FASTEST MARATHON HAT-TRICK

24 January 2019. One athlete attracting attention in marathon running is Scot Nikki Johnstone who has recorded an astonishing hat-trick of marathon victories in the first 19 days of January.

Last year, he ran 8 marathons, winning in the German marathons at Krefeld, Mannheim and Duisburg, and reducing his PB from 2:31:23 to 2:25:21. His slowest run was 2:35:17 at the Berlin marathon, but then he did run that race as an Elvis impersonator.

A teacher at the ISR International School on the Rhine in Germany, Nikki has got his year off to a spectacular start. He won the New Year's marathon in Zurich on 1st January in 2:26:52, then retained his title at the LLG-Kevelaer marathon in Twisteden, Germany in a new PB of 2:24:21 just five days later.

Taking a breather for 13 days, he won the Funchal marathon in Portugal at the weekend in another PB of 2:21:50.

I am not sure if any other Scottish athletes have won three consecutive marathons, but certainly none will have won three in 19 days - the fastest marathon hat-trick on record?

2018 SCOTTISH SENIOR RANKINGS NOW AVAILABLE

Jamie Williamson winning the Scottish 800m title (photo by Bobby Gavin)

13 January 2019. The 2018 ranking lists for senior men and senior women are now on the website. The rankings show the top 20 performances and top 40 performers approximately across all standard events, including track and field and road running.

Any corrections and amendments will be gratefully received so if you feel you are missing from the rankings or misrepresented, or there is an error, please let me know and the lists will be updated.

The annual ranking lists on the website now cover all years dating back to 2000.

Junior Men and Junior Women's lists for 2018 will be available in a few weeks.

CITY STRENGTHEN; LEADING JUNIORS ON THE MOVE

Glasgow City has added top young thrower Andrew Costello to its ranks as well as Aberdeen's Italian sprinter Christian Hristov. Two leading young field eventers also feature on the list of club changes this month, with Inverness long/triple jumper Stephen Mackenzie joining Pitreavie and Law thrower Hayley Berry moving to VP Glasgow.

The following changes of club have been approved by scottishathletics with effect from 1 January 2019:

Marie Baxter, Garioch RR to JSK Running Club; Hayley Berry, Law & District to VP Glasgow; Colin Black, Law & District to Giffnock North; Angela Carson, Bellahouston Harriers to Giffnock North; Jonathan Collings, Livingston to Lothian RC; Andrew Costello, Kilbarchan to Glasgow City; Aimie Hendry, Cumbernauld to VP Glasgow; Christian Hristov, Aberdeen to Glasgow City; Daniel Humble, Croydon Harriers to Bellahouston Harriers; Stephen MacKenzie, Inverness Harriers to Pitreavie; Elizabeth McCall, Aberdeen to Edinburgh AC; Jason Miles-Campbell, Hamilton Harriers to Strathearn Harriers; Harris Morrison, Inverclyde to Greenock Glenpark Harriers; Lily Nicol, Nairn to Inverness Harriers; Rudi Paul, Inverness Harriers to Bellahouston Harriers; Eilidh Turner, Lothian RC to Falkirk Victoria Harriers.

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The Scottish Association of Track Statisticians has documented athletics performances in Scotland for over 50 years and this website provides authoritative and factual information on performances, rankings, athlete profiles, and records as well as documenting the history of the sport in Scotland.

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