Scottish Masters Athletics Indoor Championships 2023

I travelled with a group of friends and athletes from North Shields Polytechnic Club and Morpeth Harriers & AC to the Glasgow Emirates Arena which was once again the venue for the Scottish Masters Indoor Athletics Championships on 12th February 2023. It was a hugely enjoyable event, not least because it’s one of the best organised and run by the most friendly officials and volunteers, but also because I had the opportunity to try and retain the M60 200m and 400m titles that I had won the previous year.

The 400m was the first race of the day and as I was the only M60 runner, I won the championship by default. Despite this being a hollow victory I still managed to get a decent run against Callum Ballantyne, a very good 20 year old T20 athlete. This is wonderful testimony to the sport of athletics where people of all ages and abilities are able to run together, whilst competing in their own categories.

Whilst still racing to win, I tried to preserve as much energy as I could running the 400m as I knew it would be a different story in the 200m. I would face formidable competition from athletes that would literally leave me in the dust when I took up Masters Athletics a just few years earlier. Through my relatively short sprinting career I’ve used them, and others like them, as role models in order to fulfil my ambition to compete at the very highest level one day.

It’s difficult to appreciate just how good the 200m race turned out to be. It wasn’t the fastest 200m I’ve ran but it ranks with one of my very best 200m performances. The race was incredibly tight; no quarter was given over the first 150m; four of us were neck and neck coming off the final bend; the lead changed four times inside the final 50m; it was a scrap to the bitter end and I managed to win it on the line from Neil Tunstall in second place, John Statham in third and Shane Sheridan in fourth.

The buzz afterwards was amazing, and we must have chatted for 15 minutes with everyone reliving the race from their own perspective. The competitive rivalry between master’s athletes is immense, but so is the camaraderie and mutual respect. Thank you, guys, for a truly wonderful race and a lasting memory.

Another M60 athlete whom I admire that wasn’t competing gave me some great advice the day before the championships, he said “Remember we run because we love it. Enjoy yourself, have fun and revel in the moment.” … thank you for that great advice sir. I can confirm that I do, and I absolutely did!

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