‘I just love coaching’ – Mike Johnston after BAWA merit award

Saturday 16th December 2023

Mike Johnston earlier this year when the Cambuslang Harriers trio of Gavin Smith, Jamie MacKinnon and Chris McLew broke the Scottish 3x800m Record

BAWA website with Awards announcement

Josh Kerr has landed another top award via the British Athletics Writers Association.

And the BAWA committee have also given due recognition to one of the stalwarts of the sport – Mike Johnston.

Josh wins the Male Athlete of the Year award for the second time in his career after his superb World title win over 1500m in Budapest in August.

It means the American-based Scot has won:

*Our won 4J Athlete of the Year title
*Athletics Weekly Male Athlete of the Year award
*Scottish Sportsperson of the Year
*BAWA Male Athlete of the Year award.

Many congratulations to Josh, his family and coach Danny Mackey as well as all at Edinburgh AC.

The Ron Pickering Memorial Award for Services to Athletics, gifted by the BAWA Committee, was given to distance coach Mike Johnston, regarded as the godfather of the crop of Scottish middle-distance athletes that have taken major medals over the past decade.

Mike joined Cambuslang Harriers 40 years ago and his skills in nurturing talent were deployed as head of endurance of scottishathletics until his formal retirement in 2014. He remains an active coach and mentor to a new generation.

‘I just enjoy coaching,’ he said.

‘I like to see people improve. It doesn’t have to be winning medals or making teams but I like to see people get the most out of athletics and just enjoy the sport. That’s the key thing.

‘But we did have a good phase where things went well on the endurance side in Scotland.

‘I think the big thing was identifying and supporting the right people, especially the coaches, in setting up a good framework.

‘And Mark Pollard has done a great job taking it on and expanding on it since I retired.’