Tag: Scottish Athletics

Graphic shows the logos of Scottish Athletics, SAMH, Scottish Disability Sport, The Daily Mile and Junior Park Run. It also includes the outcomes the partnership will achieve to create a legacy from the games.

Together, We’re All In!

Five organisations are partnering to build on the legacy of Glasgow 2026 this summer, with the goal of supporting physical, mental and social health in our communities.

The partnership was very clearly on display at a recent celebration of physical activity in Glasgow. The events on 13 and 20 May saw nearly 1500 school pupils, representing 20 primary schools, participate at Scotstoun, Team Scotland’s home athletics track, in the run up to the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games.

The events were delivered by The Daily Mile Foundation in partnership with the Scottish Government, London Marathon Events, scottishathletics, Scottish Disability Sport, Glasgow Life and Scottish Action for Mental Health (SAMH), with the aim being to help children move more, feel good and enjoy being active together.

Underpinning the delivery of this event was the ‘Together, We’re All In’ partnership which has seen the Daily Mile Foundation, junior parkrun, scottishathletics, SAMH and Scottish Disability Sport come together to build on their existing work and create an impactful and lasting legacy reaching beyond this year’s Games.

Over the build up to, and during Glasgow 2026, our five organisations are joining forces to support communities to participate in the Commonwealth Games, and to provide opportunities across Scotland for people to get active in their local community.

However, we have recognised the strength that lies in working collaboratively, in partnership, to deliver shared outcomes.  This includes sharing a key focus long term to support delivery of Scotland’s National Performance Framework; embed an inclusive approach in organisational programmes; improve mental, physical and social health; and create a culture of daily moving and wellbeing.

Fiona Paterson, UK and Ireland Partnerships Manager at The Daily Mile Foundation, said:

“The Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games are a fantastic opportunity to bring organisations together with a shared goal of helping more children enjoy the benefits of being active. By working in partnership, we can inspire more children to run, wheel or walk every day, building healthy habits that support their physical, mental and social wellbeing. We hope the excitement of the Games encourages even more schools and families across Scotland to make movement part of everyday life.”

scottishathletics’ CEO, Colin Hutchison, said:

“With the Commonwealth Games returning to Glasgow in 2026, the athletics and running community in Scotland once again has an unprecedented opportunity to benefit.  It is important as a sport we create a lasting legacy – together, we can build one which engages people of all ages to promote our sport to build stronger clubs, recruit volunteers, and to improve participation levels. The key benefit through this partnership is that we build disability, inclusion, social, physical and mental health into our athletics development thinking from the outset. The impact of the work we do as a group of partners will extend long beyond the Games.”

Billy Watson, Chief Executive of SAMH, which is also Official Mental Health Supporter of Team Scotland and an Official Supporter of Glasgow 2026, said:

“This partnership is all about creating inclusive opportunities to help more people enjoy the physical, mental and social health benefits of being active. From boosting our mood to facilitating new connections, physical activity and sport can play a key role in helping us to feel good and live well. We want to remove barriers to participation and support as many people as possible to find ways of moving that work for them, so they can build sustainable activity into their regular routines.”

Josh McKay, Outreach Officer (Scotland) for parkrun, said:

“Glasgow 2026 gives us the chance to highlight opportunities to improve people’s health and happiness across Scotland. At junior parkrun, our fun, free, weekly 2k community events for children aged 4-14 and their families are the perfect way to encourage the whole family to be active together on a Sunday morning. We’re excited to be teaming up with so many brilliant organisations to promote the importance of movement to support people’s wellbeing,  and hope the Commonwealth Games inspire people to get active in their local community!”

Scottish Disability Sport CEO, Gavin Macleod, said:

“The Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games will showcase Scotland’s leading para athletes, who will compete across six of the ten sports and inspire the next generation of participants, coaches, officials and athletes.

Inclusion is at the heart of the Together, We’re All In partnership, and we are delighted to work with this incredible group of partners to create a meaningful Games legacy for people with disabilities.”

Find out more about the Together We’re All In Partnership

Disability Sport Fife logo

Outstanding Performances by Fife Athletes in Edinburgh

Disability Sport Fife (DSF) considers the East Series Cross Country programme organised by scottishathletics and Scottish Disability Sport as one of the major successes in the development of athletics in the east of Scotland. DSF member organisation schools entered over 90 athletes for Round 3 of the East Series at the Beveridge Park in Kirkcaldy and for round 4 at Peffermill in Edinburgh on 21st February, around 50 athletes from Bell Baxter HS, Woodmill HS, Balwearie HS and Lochgelly HS made the journey across the Forth. Athletes are awarded points over the four rounds of the East Series to determine the overall year group champions. In round 4 there were once again many fine Fife athlete performances.

The introduction of the 500 metres race has encouraged a number of novice performers to take up the sport. Eilidh Lennox (S2) and Richy Stacey (S2) from Bell Baxter HS fell in to this category and they recorded winning performances in the girls and boys S2 races.

In the girls 1K, Fife schools produced all but one of the fastest year group times. Sophie Coughlin Bell Baxter HS S1 – 5:58; Amy Dignan Lochgelly HS S2 – 7:39; Megan Wilson Woodmill HS S3 – 6:45; Kerry Kotlewski Bell Baxter HS S4 – 7:23; Taylor McDowall Balwearie HS S6 – 8.58. Sophie is only a first year pupil yet she ran the fastest time of all the year group winners.

Once again in the boys 1K races it was a similar story. There were year group winners from Fife schools from first year through to sixth year. Nathan Smith Woodmill HS S1 – 7:21; Edwin Barron Woodmill HS S2 – 4:58; Owen Handley Woodmill HS S3 – 5:55; Arran Howe Bell Baxter HS S4 – 4:41; Reece Dickson Balwearie HS S5 – 5:08; Cameron Healy Balwearie HS S6 – 6:22. Connor Brown S3 Woodmill HS recorded the fastest time of the day for an athlete with a physical impairment and the seventh fastest overall time of any 1K athlete – 5:18. Well done to Arran Howe S4 who recorded the fastest 1K time of the day.

Twins Louise and Michelle Harley from Lochgelly HS S4 finished first and second in the girls 2K race with Louise crossing the line first in 14:56. In the equivalent event for boys Mathew Blair Woodmill HS S5 ran the fastest overall 2K time of 10:32 and Alex Evans from Balwearie HS the fastest S4 time.

All the Fife athletes then waited anxiously to find out the overall results for the 2017 East Series Cross Country. Team Fife headed back to the kingdom reflecting on another successful east Series and looking forward to the Fife cross Country Championships at the Beveridge Park and the Scottish Championships at Bellahouston Park later in the year.

Richard Brickley MBE
President, Disability Sport Fife