Welcome back! Sprinter Allan and endurance medallist Brogan on parallel lines

Saturday 12th April 2025

By Peter Jardine, Head of Communications

On the face of it, thirtysomething sprinter Allan Hamilton and born-again cross country and road runner Brogan Wallace appear to have next to nothing in common.

Yes, both won national medals in recent weeks but the differences seem further apart that the length of the M8 which separates their respective clubs – Edinburgh AC and Shettleston Harriers.

But, listening to both in post-event interviews with scottishathletics at the Emirates Arena and Falkirk, a parallel theme emerged.

We could probably summarise thus: there are no rules about how success in athletics in Scotland can be achieved.

The debate about child ‘superstars’ v late developers is one for another day but Allan and Brogan are arguably emblems for another ‘genre’ – those steeped in the sport for 10-15 years who, after stepping away for a few years, then return at a similar level to before.

Allan won the Scottish Senior title at 60m after three years while Brogan, bronze medallist at the Lindsays National XC and the Scottish Half Marathon Champs in Inverness, was not so long ago out of the sport for a period of five years.

Yes, we appreciate and celebrate the never-been-away athletes in their late 20s or early 30s, too, but we return to the theme outlined above: there are no rules.

Allan for his part drew inspiration from GB and NI bronze medallist at the European Indoors in Apeldoorn – 34-year-old Andy Robertson.

‘My last individual title in the 60m indoors was three years ago in 2022,’ Allan told us at the 4J Senior Champs after running 6.79 seconds to win the 60m final. His PB is 6.72. That final also featured Cameron Tindle, another ‘welcome back’ sprinter.

‘I have kept myself ticking over to an extent during that time (on the Highland Games circuit mainly). I haven’t done as much training as I used to be doing back in 2022 and prior to that.

‘So I would like to think there is more in the tank now that I have come back into the sport in a competitive sense. I will see how it goes.

‘You almost said it would be great to see more older athletes involved!

‘But I think it is true. We saw the European Indoors and Andy Robertson took a bronze in the 60m Men’s final at the age of 34. That was inspirational and motivational.

‘I don’t think there needs to be any barriers to people. If you put in hard work, and you have talent, then that’s a great combination and you can do good things in our sport.’

Brogan for her part was more of an 800m runner in her mid teens with Kilmarnock Harriers and Glasgow School of Sport.

‘I did quit running after finishing school and then went to university,’ the 29-year-old told us.

‘I guess I was out of the sport for about five years. I went down south and found a club there (London Heathside) and sort of came back in.

‘Then I moved back to Glasgow and started to enjoy running longer distances. I missed it. I kind of got over the uni lifestyle and started to feel I wanted to get fitter again. I was running again and enjoying it and that’s so important.

‘Shettleston are strong on the women’s side in terms of contesting medals in national championships. We won team gold at Falkirk and it was really nice to add that to my individual bronze.’

Good to hear the team aspect at Falkirk being talked up and, as it happens, Allan has teams on his mind, too.

‘The Commonwealth Games are coming back to Scotland and we could have relay teams involved,’ he added.

‘That is a main driver for me – I would love to get in the Men’s sprint team and see if we can do it fourth time around if you like (after 4x100m qualifying bids in 2014, 2018, 2022).

‘I think there is some strength and depth in Scottish sprinting now and I’d love to see the team achieve the required standard.’

All of this chimes with the words of a female athlete a similar age to Brogan.

Asked in conversation if quitting was under consideration after a near two decades in the sport, this sprinter and relay specialist replied: ‘Not really. I keep finding I simply love the training too much. I want to keep feeling fit and athletics gives me that.’

And a fair bit more besides, we’d wager.