THE coronavirus pandemic may have brought many things to a halt this year but Pitreavie AAC have kept on running.

It may have been a little different – with virtual competitions taking place instead of regular national meets and training organised to meet social-distancing guidelines – but club members have at least been able to put on their spikes.

That they have has been, in no small part, down to club officials such as Nicola Moriarty, who was shortlisted for a national award in recognition of that work recently.

Nicola, an events organiser and jog leader within Pitreavie, was one of three people shortlisted for the Tru Wealth Volunteer of the Year accolade at the Scottish Women in Sport Awards, which were held last month, "presented to a person or group of people who, in the opinion of the panel, worked tirelessly in the background to support athletes or clubs during COVID-19, and through volunteering and dedication makes a difference to their chosen sport".

Although she missed out on winning the award, Nicola has been delighted to play her part in getting the club up-and-running in what has been a challenging 2020.

"The nomination came as a bit of a shock, as it was the staff at Scottish Athletics who nominated me, which feels really special," she explained.

"I had no idea until someone congratulated me for being shortlisted!

"I was furloughed from April until the end of October so used the time to work on helping getting the club back up and running. We were one of the first clubs in Scotland to be back operating our track and field at a facility, with tight procedures in place, and I also organised a Superteams track and field event back in September, along with some track events for under-15s and above.

"It's been a busy but enjoyable few months."

In addition to coaching junior members twice a week, Nicola has also been busy organising two, one-mile race events, with a third planned under strict Scottish Athletics guidelines for December 22; virtual events to raise funds; and another virtual event, 'PAACE Yourself in December', which started on December 1 and will continue until Christmas Eve.

PAACE, the club's endurance section, and Ready, Steady Go Pitreavie (RSGP) – its jogscotland group set up by Nicola and Anita Dow four years ago – have also enjoyed a busy period.

RSGP is tailored to ensure everyone trains together regardless of experience or ability in a fun, informal and encouraging environment, while offering new members the chance to take part in a 10-week 'Couch to 5K' programme, which, normally, culminates in a graduation ceremony at a local parkrun event.

Even though parkrun is currently on hold because of the pandemic, six runners were set to graduate from the initiative recently, while five new jog leaders have been recruited as part of a thriving membership that has grown from 30 in 2016 to 220.

To find out more, visit www.pitreavie-aac.co.uk or find the club on Facebook.