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Sun shines on glorious day of action at Alva
.Following a sprinkling of short sharp showers prior to proceedings getting underway the skies eventually cleared and the sun shone brightly on the Johnstone Park for the 163rd celebration of the Famous Alva Games.
Competitors came from far and wide to contest the various events in running , cycling, heavy events, highland dancing and hill races.
The £400 top prize in the Open 90 metres was won for the second successive year by Euan Smith of Central AC, despite running from 3.5 metres less than the previous year the Tullibody flyer powered home ahead of his club mates Callum Letham and Jack Houghton.Filling the minor placings were Jack Haughton Central AC and Borders duo Tommy Finkle TLJT and Callum Murray Gala..
There was further Central AC success in the Youth 90 metres with victory going to Lyle Hunter who broke the tape ahead of Brogan Russell,Orkney AC and Kyle McFarlane, Pitreavie AC.
There was a father and son 1 – 2 in the 200 metres handicap with John Paxton Hawick holding off the determined late challenge by his son Daniel with Callum Letham in third place.
Pitreavie AC runners made a clean sweep of the top three placings in the Youths' 200 metres with Caleb McLeod forging clear in the home straight to deny Kyle McFarlane and Ruaridh Elder.
Samantha Turnbull,TLJT got a win on the board for the ladies with victory in the 90m Invitation sprint.
Daniel Paxton who was denied victory in the last strides in the 400 metres at Thornton the previous week suffered a similar fate at Alva when he was collared close home by Ewen Bradley, Inverness with Ruaridh Campbell TLJT in third place.
After placing in three previous events Kyle McFarlane eventually got his head in front with victory in the Youths' 400 metres handicap coming home ahead of Anstruther duo Jamie Anderson and Lucy Nuttall.
Not for the first time this season there was good fields for the 800m, 1600m and 3200m handicaps.
There was further Borders success in the 800 metres with Rory Anderson, Hawick timing his run to perfection to power home ahead of backmarker Sean Chalmers, Inverness Harriers with Donald Bradley, Inverness in third. Ruaridh Elder ran a great race from the backmark to claim the Youths' 800 metres, working his way through the field to take the victory from brother and sister Erin and Kyle McFarlane.
Both the 1600m and 3200m were won in good style from the backmark by Sean Chalmers who in between events had contested the gruelling Alva Hill race. In the 1600m he was following up his win from the previous year as he came home ahead of Lakelander Matthew McKay Rossendale and Craig Bell Forfar. He was followed over the line in the 3200m by Jamie Massie Forfar and Alistair Thornton Macclesfield.
Following 1600 metres wins at both Strathmore and Thornton, Archie Suttie Anstruther made it three at Alva with another strong run to break the tape ahead of the previous years winner Toby Middleton Bolton with Rhys Nuttall Anstruther in third place.
The British Championship Hill Race was won by the all conquering Simon Bailey, Mercia who was the first winner for a number of years to break the 19 minutes mark.
The top event for the cyclists was the Scottish 3200 metres Championship, the finish involved the top two from the previous year when Stewart Burke, Limekilns slipped the field to take the title from Charles Fletcher, Grantown on Spey, this time however the placings were reversed with Fletcher proving just too strong for Burke over the last lap to take the title to add to the 1600m and 8000m medals he has already won at Ceres and Markinch respectively. Not for the first time this season it turned out to be a great day for Fletcher who won all four races on the card.Stewart Burke, Ian Hepburn, Cairneyhill, Jamie Hutchison,Perth, Flora Gillies, Peebles and Ian Grant, Glenrothes filled the minor placings in all the races.
Dan Carlin, Renfrew was the overall winner in the heavy events with six wins and two second places, his wins came in the 16lb and 22lb shot putt, 56lb weight for distance, 16lb and 22lb hammer and 56lb weight over the bar. Stuart Anderson was the victor in both the 28lb weight for distance and caber, David Melnicuk Czech Republic and Pete Hart Glenisla filled the minor placings.
Published: 2019-07-13 22:22:22
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