Middle Distance Project: athletes to express interest for Manchester

Wednesday 27th March 2024

Our Manchester Middle Distance Project is geared to complement the likes of the GAA Miler Meets in Scotland (photo by Bobby Gavin)

Athletes, coaches and parents are advised that we plan to carry on with our Middle Distance Project again this summer.

scottishathletics firmly views the project as important as we seek to accelerate the development of male and female Scottish athletes over 800m, 1500m and 3000m.

To that end, we plan to send a minibus of athletes/coaches down to the British Miler Club Gold Standard Races (North) at Longford Park Stadium, Manchester, over the 2024 summer season.

It’s being planned in order to encourage their progression and development by assisting them to participate in a challenging competition environment.

The programme is primarily aimed at senior school pupils, further education students and late developing Seniors – as well as their coaches.

We are putting the information out now – in terms of the dates – to assist athletes/coaches with the planning process; and we are now looking for expressions of interest for the following dates:

Dates:

*Tuesday 14 May

*Tuesday 28 May

Note: There are refurbishment works planned at the venue this summer and further dates may be released pending confirmation of venue availability.

Expressions of interest for the Middle Distance Project should be sent by email to robert.hawkins@scottishathletics.org.uk

The provisional standards for being involved in the project in 2024 are:

Male 800m: sub 1:56 runners only (of which there were 37 athletes in Scotland 2023)

Male 1500m: sub 3:56* runners only (of which there were 49 athletes in Scotland 2023)

Male 3000m: sub 8:40* runners only (of which there were 50 athletes in Scotland 2023)

Female 800m: sub 2:16 runners only (of which there were 43 athletes in Scotland 2023)

Female 1500m: sub 4:40 runners only (of which there were 42 athletes in Scotland 2023)

Female 3000m: sub 10:20 runners only (of which there were 37 athletes in Scotland 2023)

*The standards in these events have been raised from 4:00 and 9:00 respectively to reflect the considerable progress athletes and coaches have made.  In 2021, 61 athletes broke the 9:00 min barrier rising to a remarkable 93 in 2023. 

With thanks to Robert Hawkins

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Tags: Manchester, Middle Distance Project, Robert Hawkins