MORE than 350 athletes from across Tayside and Fife will compete in Dunfermline this weekend in events marking the Commonwealth Games.

The Commonwealth Celebration event hosted by Pitreavie AAC will see another seven clubs - Dunfermline Track and Field Club, Fife AC, Arbroath and District AC, Dundee Hawkhill Harriers, Montrose and District AC and Perth Strathtay Harriers - and Run, Jump and Throw groups take part in a full programme that will also include disability and 'come and try' events.

Debbie Scott, of Pitreavie AAC, said, "We've got around 40 heats to get through in the 100m and 200m so it is a busy programme.

"We would like to thank Fife Sports and Leisure Trust for their help with the venue and we hope that it will inspire a lot of kids to take part in events and even inspire a lot of our older athletes to try and compete at Scotland level." Each competing club will represent a different country in the 'mini' Commonwealth Games, which has been backed by Scottish Athletics and received funding from the Big Lottery Fund.

Outwith the track and field programme, organisers will be hosting a "fastest kid in Fife and Tayside" competition, which will take the form of a handicap sprint from ages 5-9.

The competing nine-year-olds will run a distance of 100m, which will decrease by 10m for each age, and a trophy will be on offer for the winner. It is scheduled to take place at 1.45pm on Saturday and all are welcome to take part.

An opening ceremony attended by former Pitreavie Olympic sprinter Ian Mackie (pictured on the track at the launch) and Fife provost Jim Leishman will mark the commencement of the games.

There will also be performances from Laura McFadden's Dance Studio, Cowdenbeath Majorettes and Fife Performing Arts, while cubs from the 40th Fife Scout Group will act as flag bearers. There is free entry for family and friends to attend the event and refreshments will be available.