Medal Monday: Ben wins T20 1500m gold at Scotstoun and Steven takes bronze, too

Monday 27th July 2026

Photo by Bobby Gavin

Brilliant Ben Sandilands gave the Commonwealth Games home crowd at Scotstoun a ‘Flower of Scotland’ moment on the opening night of the athletics.

The Fife AC athlete surged clear to win the T20 1500m in fine style as his club-mate and training partner, Steven Bryce, added bronze for Team Scotland.

And so a proud evening unfolded in Glasgow for family and friends of a training group guided by coach Steve Doig.

Owen Miller made it three entrants from the same club in the race but after recent injuries did well to finish sixth.

Elsewhere, Chris Bennett ended his international career with fifth – his best place in four Games – as Megan Keith came home ninth in the Women’s 10,000m final.

Sandilands won gold in 3:57.25 and was well clear of England’s Michael Barber. Bryce was third in 4:02.40 in the best moment of his career.

It was an emotional night for Chris Bennett.The hammer thrower was competing for the final time at this level ahead of retirement. He was duly announced by Geoff Wightman as ‘ the most local athlete at these Games’.

Chris came through the young age groups at Scotstoun with VP-Glasgow.

A solid start saw him improve to 69.49m midway through the comp and that led him home in fifth place – his best at a Commonwealths.

And he has represented Team Scotland four times now as his throws career went full circle from Hampden to Scotstoun.

The event was won with a monster, Games Record throw of 80.97m by Canada’s Ethan Katzberg.

There were 14 athletes in the Women’s 10,000m final. Megan was with the leaders for quite a long spell before the field began to stretch.

It was a hard shift for the Inverness Harrier with faint hopes of bronze starting to fade after around 4k had been run.

In the end, Megan had to keep fighting for her place finish as Australia’s Rose Davies took a superb gold. The Aussies are here and mean business on the track this week.

Megan clocked 32:22.11 for SB performance and is due up later in the week in the 5000m.

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Three Scots featured in the Women’s 800m heats earlier in the Monday evening session.

There was good news in terms of progression to the semis for Jemma Reekie and Erin Wallace.

The Reekie Road swept around Scotstoun when Jemma’s name was announced but the heat looked dangerous with three World Champs medallists in the field. We need not have worried as the Kilbarchan AAC athlete cruised through in second with 2:03.09 just behind England’s Georgia Hunter Bell. .

Glaswegian Erin stayed patient in the fourth heat and ran strongly on the home straight for third with 2:03.15. Erin was the beneficiary of a fall from South African Prudence Sekgodiso.

But Mena Scathard missed out via the process that saw only the top three assured of qualifying for the next stage. Mena took the race out for the first lap before finishing in fifth place at 2:03.94.

Unfortunately, Mena was squeezed out for the fourth non automatic place via the fourth placed athlete in her own heat.

Alexander Thomson lined up for the T38 100m final – wearing the Team Scotland colours at his second Commonwealth Games.

The VP-Glasgow athlete, well used to the Scotstoun surroundings and coached by Chris Baillie, clocked 12.50. Alexander finished seventh.

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Tags: Ben Sandilands, Chris Bennett, Glasgow 2026, Megan Keith, Team Scotland