Dunfermline Track and Field Club's Daisy Cumming to compete at Inter-District Cross-Country Championships

The event, which takes place in Edinburgh’s Holyrood Park on Saturday, January 13, is one of the most eagerly-anticipated fixtures on the athletics calendar and brings together top-level international cross-country races with the inter-districts and the mass participation Great Winter Run and Junior Great Winter Run.

Under-13, under-15, junior and senior male and female inter-district races will take place during a packed programme that also features events starring Olympians such as Laura Muir and Steph Twell.

Daisy, an under-15 athlete, will go into it on the back of a fine run of form that included winning a silver medal at last month’s East District Cross-Country Championships after finishing 12th out of a field of 129 competitors at the British Athletics-organised UK Cross Challenge in Liverpool.

Meanwhile, a number of club athletes enjoyed strong performances at two separate events before Christmas.

The club were well represented at the Glasgow Athletic Association Yuletide meeting at the Emirates Arena on December 22 and a number of personal best times were sent tumbling.

India McKendry and Adon Akuoko stormed home to win their 60 metres heats in 9.12 and 9.02 seconds respectively, while Shayna Asamoah and Kirstin Penman also recorded new PBs in 8.91 and 9.51 seconds.

Shayna also clocked 11.01 for her first competitive attempt at the 60m hurdles while, in the 800m, Kirstin took an astonishing 15 seconds off her best with a time of 2 minutes 52 seconds, while Ellie Candlish finished just outside her best in the same event.

To round off an excellent performance from the Dunfermline Track and Field contingent, Kirstin also posted a height of 1.25 metres in her first competitive attempt at high jump.

Prior to that meet, a number of club members participated in Pitreavie Amateur Athletics Club’s Jingle Bell 5K and Junior Jingle Bell 1.5K events on December 17.

In the senior race, in a field of 98 runners, Elliot Wilkins enjoyed an excellent third-place finish while Malcolm Mclure also ran well to finish 10th.

Katie Lancaster led the way for the girls with a 29th place overall, which was enough to finish as the third-placed under-15 female, while Dean Chalmers finished as the second-placed S1 runner in the Junior event, placing 15th overall.

James Cuthbert was not far behind in 19th, which was enough to place as the third S1 runner, David Cuthbert finished 20th overall and third-placed male Primary 6 and Dominic Drylie and Casey Laird finished well in the middle of the pack.

Grace Barrie headed the females in 18th place overall and as the first-placed female Primary 7 runner and was followed by Ellie Candlish, who was the second-placed Primary 7 and 26th overall, with Kirstin Penman 25th overall and the fourth-placed Primary 6 runner.

Ruby Candlish, Eva Briggs, Sophie Thomas and Olivia Drylie all did well and finished in the middle of the remaining field.