Big Half Marathon; Hunter misses out; Road Relays; Cancellations

Thursday 1st March 2018

Sir Mo Farah and Callum Hawkins will both have eyes on the overall prize of victory at the Vitality Big Half on Sunday (4 March), there is also the chance to double up and win the British Championship in the process.

The Vitality Big Half, which is being held for the first time this year, will incorporate the British Half Marathon Championships and has attracted some of the best distance runners in the country.

Farah and Hawkins  re the top two British names in the men’s field, especially now the other main home contender Dewi Griffiths  has been forced to withdraw through injury.

Another British male contender hoping to make the podium is Jonny Mellor, who is ranked fifth over the distance this year after a 63:17 clocking in Barcelona last month.

Other British men hoping to be in the mix are: Shettleston’s Tsegai Tewelde, Matthew Sharp, Josh Griffiths, Luke Caldwell, Aaron Scott, Alex Teuten, Dundee Hawkhill’s Kris Jones and Will Richardson .

The women’s race has brought together some of the very best British distance runners, led by Lily Partridge (Aldershot Farnham & District) who leads the UK standings over the distance with her 71:06 time at the Seville event in late January.

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Rachel Hunter is the latest athlete to miss out on the Commonwealth Games.

The hammer thrower, who reached the final at Hampden at Glasgow 2014 four years ago, has been announced as another withdrawal from Team Scotland for Gold Coast 2018 for medical reasons.

Hunter thus unfortunately joins Andy Butchart, Emma Nuttall and Jax Thoirs as members of the track, field and marathon team who have had to call off in the opening weeks of 2018.

scottishathletic have been helping Rachel in the recovery process and we wish her well and hope to see her back throwing again later in 2018.

Team Scotland announcement

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Enter the 6/4 Road Relays

Calling all clubs! The Scottish National Road Relays are back at Livingston once again this year – with the event to take place on Sunday 25 March.

So we are now looking for entries from clubs for the Men’s Six-Stage and Women’s Four-Stage races happening that day.

It has been another very busy winter of indoor and cross country action, but the Road Relays is always one our best-supported events and we’d love to see that maintained in 2018.

In a change for 2018, the races at Almondvale start at 12 noon for men and 12.10pm for women that day. Changing and declarations at St Margaret’s Academy, Almondvale, Livingston. Once again we would like to thank West Lothian Council for their outstanding – and long-standing – support for this event.

Entry forms and all the key information is online on the Events Section and we are taking these by post or by email:

NATIONAL 6/4 STAGE
SCOTTISHATHLETICS LTD
CALEDONIA HOUSE
SOUTH GYLE
EDINBURGH
EH12 9DQ

EMAIL TO: events@scottishathletics.org.uk

*The deadline for entries is Monday 12 March.

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Tags: Big Half, Callum Hawkins, Gold Coast 2018, Livingston, National 6/4 Road Relays, Rachel Hunter