Published: Thursday, 2nd October, 2008 10:45am

Olympic factor behind huge turnout at Dunfermline athletics festival

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THE Olympics factor saw nearly 400 kids from 15 West Fife primary schools battle it out on the athletics track at Pitreavie recently.

The kids were taking part in the annual outdoor athletics festival, one of a series of sports festivals organised throughout the year by Dunfermline & West Fife Sports Council and the Carnegie Trust.

Pupils strived to go further, longer and faster in the shot putt, long jump, 100 metres and 4x100m relay and after a breathless day"s competition, there was no separating the young athletes from Donibristle Primary School in Dalgety Bay and Townhill Primary.

'They just could not be separated, even when we tried to look back and take fourth places into account – it was quite amazing,' sports council member Harry Bruce told Press Sport.

King"s Road Primary in Rosyth were delighted to claim a deserved third spot and summing up, Mr Bruce said, 'We were overwhelmed by the amount of people who turned up.

'The event has gone from strength to strength and we never thought we would get 400 pupils turning up.

'It can be hard for schools these days because of transport costs and getting supply teachers in so to have 15 schools as well was fantastic.

'I think the Olympics played a big part in it but we are lucky in our area that athletics has got quite a high profile, thanks in part to the Press.

'It was a lot of hard work to organise but this is what we want.

"We don"t mind the hard work as long as youngsters are taking part in sport – that"s the main thing.'