If you are interested in helping us to promote the athletics programme in the locality of Jedburgh and are in the age group 25 to 50 years you will be very welcome to join our happy band. We meet approx. ten times per year for a couple of hours at the Railway Tavern in Lower High Street between February and July to organise the Annual Games Programme and Fancy Dress Parade, and also once during early December to promote a fund raising Coffee Morning held at The British Legion Premises usually on the first Saturday of December.

Please contact the Committee at our email address at the top of this page for further information.

 

Severe Thunderstorm Swamps Games Day

The Cannon firing ceremony in the Market Place at 6.00am was met with considerably favourable weather, even though the forecast had predicted rain and showers for the greatest part of the weekend. The weather during Festival Friday had luckily been very favourable for all the ceremonies that took place, although a mid afternoon shower interupted the Festival Fun Day for an hour or so, at Lothian Park . As the clock chimed 6.00 am on Saturday morning all four cannons were discharged successively to north south east and west to formally proclaim that once again Jethart's Games Day was under way. The premises of Scott and Foggon in Exchange Street were gratefully utilised as a base for the Games Committee as a precaution, in the event of foul weather ensuing during the hour.
First prize in The Race Around the Town was taken by Gary Hunter, who plays for local football team Jed Legion F. C. Second and third places were taken by two visitors from the USA who were in town to witness the Festival celebrations. At 10.30 am the Sports at Riverside Park were gotten under way with the Races for Boys and Girls sponsored by The Sea Rover Fish and Chips Bar.

Connor Hedley of Ellington near Morpeth who entered the 110 metres Jedsprint final as a fastest loser from the cross-ties struts to a well earned victory in lane six from Hawick's Ross Weir in lane one. The eighteen year old, running from a mark of 12 metres won his heat in 11.63 seconds. In the final it seemed as though Weir would hold his lead, but the young Northumbrian sped to a surprising late victory in 11.35 seconds. Craig Grieve of T.L.J.T in lane five took third place.

The weather conditions from the start were ideal for the sports with an overcast but dry morning's competition taking place. Scott Armstrong from Durham ran a tremendous 400 metres to take the Junior title from Michael Dennis of Edinburgh and Fergus Rule of Leithenburn. Shortly after, Kyle Potts of T.L.J.T took first place in the 400 metres Youths event in a time of 52.61 seconds beating Jack Wilson of Hawick and Mhairi Henderson of T.L.J.T. The 90 metres Junior Event saw Calder MacLean of Leithenburn take first place from Michael Dennis of Edinburgh A.C. and Eve Huxley from Innerleithen. After a triumph in the Youths 90 metre Handicap confined to Jedburgh in the morning events, Craig Smith of T.L.J.T soared to another win in the early afternoon by taking first place from a photo finish in the Youths 90 metres Open Handicap. Hawick's Darcy Graham and Ryan Laidlaw of Innerleithen came in second and third respectively. Thirteen year old Josh Kerr from Edinburgh made his winning debut to the Borders circuit by taking the 800 metres Rory Stewart Plasterers Youths Handicap from scratch in a time of 2 minutes and 11.26 seconds. Fraser Wardhaugh of Gala Harriers was second from a 10 metres start, and Kobe Stevens of Moorfoot took third place from a handicap of 70 metres. Tom Harker came forward to hold his title as winner of the Exchange Bar 60 metres Handicap for Men Over 45 Years for the second consecutive year in 7.89 seconds from Alec Spratt and Rob Scott. The morning events terminated with a notable win for Durham's Neil Armstrong in the Railway Tavern 70 metres Sprint Handicap. Armstrong running from a handicap of 6 metres broke the tape in 8.12 seconds from Paul Ferguson of T.L.J.T and David Lauder from Hawick who took third place.
Scottish amateur internationalist Nick Smith of Shaftsbury showed a touch of class in winning the L. S. Starrett 100 metres Border Athletics Sprint Championship. Powerhouse Smith scorched to a very impressive victory in 10.61 seconds from T.L.J.T's Greg Turnbull and Steven Charters from Dolphinton. Amy Campbell from Hawick and Marshall Smith of Galashiels, both running from 320 metres were the early leaders in the Youths 1500 metres Handicap, but at the end of the race it was Ruaridh Brittan of Moorfoot, handicapped at 175 metres whowas out in front, winning from Kobe Stevens of Moorfoot running off 130 metres and John McLean of Selkirk who was handicapped at 30 metres.

Bruce Scott of T.L.J.T storms through all that the elements can throw at him from a handicap of 7½ metres to win the 90 metres Veterans Handicap in 10.85 seconds. Tom Bradley of Edinburgh running off 13½ metres in the number three bib took second place and John Paxton of Hawick in number two bib took third place from a 4½ metres start.

The L. S. Starrett Co Ltd 800 metres Open Handicap went to Craig Robertson of Pitreavie in 1 minute 56.79 seconds. Andrew Thompson of Jed A.C. took second place with Callum Whillans of Hawick taking third. Robertson, however was not quite finished yet and come the Royal Mile 1500 metres Handicap he did it all again. Hawick's Gary Law was out in front at the bell for the final lap, with Stuart Somervail of Jed A.C. holding on to second position. Somervail then moved ahead before the final bend , but Robertson running from 40 metres hit the front position, and from there the race was his. Somervail, running off the 160 metre mark came in second and Colin Welsh of Kelso from a handicap of 25 metres took third place. A rather disconsolate crowd of spectators continued to look on as showers began to fall. Those on the north and west fringes of the park who were huddled in tents took shelter from the rain, while others made for the stands to keep dry.
Heats and finals continued none the less, irrespective of the downpour. Bruce Scott of T.L.J.T running from a 6½ metres handicap recorded his fifth win of the season by gaining the honours in the Jake and Lara Irvine Veterans 90 metres Handicap. Following a heat win in 10.24 seconds, Scott won the final from Tom Bradley of Edinburgh handicapped at 13½ metres and John Paxton from Hawick running off 4½ metres. Scott remarked that the final was probably the worst field conditions that he'd ever competed in. Local boy Craig Gillan of T.L.J.T won the Invitation 100 metres G and J Construction Handicap from scratch in 11.54 seconds from Cameron Smith of Tullibody, handicapped at 1 metre and James Parker of Hawick who ran from 5 metres. At around 3.00 in the afternoon the weather conditions became so bad that a break to the meeting had to be called. Thunder and lightning prevailed for at least half an hour. Under the main stand it seemed that a biblical plague had visited Riverside Park. Jedburgh Border Games have been cancelled only once during their history, on Friday 8th August 1862. The conditions on the field at the Dunion Moor were so deplorable as rain continued into the afternoon, that the committee reluctantly resolved to defer the meeting for twenty four hours, in the hope that Saturday would provide better conditions. Notice of the alteration was immediately despatched to the neighbouring towns.

	Jed A.C's Emily Douglas who headed the field throughout the 200 metres Open Handicap final is pushed into second place right on the line by Graeme Armstrong of Edinburgh wearing number one bib from a handicap of 32 metres in a time of 21.91 seconds Geoff Keen of Selkirk running in number four bib came in to take third place.

At about 3.30 pm it was decided to continue with the cross-ties for the Jedsprint 110 metres Handicap since the thunderstorm seemed to have passed over. Although rain continued to fall in showers, the sports continued. Emily Douglas of Jed A.C. running off a mark of 44 metres came extremely close to putting victory Jedburgh's way in the J. Laidlaw and Sons 200 metres Handicap. Having showed up well in winning her heat in 22.39 seconds, Douglas who is coached by Chico Woods, headed the field coming down the home straight and maintained her lead until being overtaken just on the post by Edinburgh's Graeme Armstrong off a 32 metres handicap. Douglas was second and Geoff Keen of Selkirk who handicapped from 23 metres came home third.
The wet weather certainly did not dampen the running of 18 year old Connor Hedley of Ellington near Morpeth. He conjured up his own brand of sunshine by taking pride of place in the Jedforest 110 metres Sprint and lifting the £3,000 first prize. Competing from a mark of 12 metres, Hedley won his heat on the rain lashed track in 11.63 seconds. Come his cross-tie, however Hedley was beaten but qualified for a final spot as a fastest loser, lining up against T.L.J.T pair Craig Grieve off 8 metres and Angus Stanners running from 9 metres. Also Iskan Barskanmay of Jed A.C. handicapped from 6½ metres, Ross Weir of Hawick running from 22 metres and Sean Harris of Edinburgh off 7½ metres. As if by call, the rain eased off for the final. The storm was not quite over though. Metres from the tape it appeared that front runner, Weir was going to hold on to his lead, but Hedley ruled this out by coming in like a bolt from the blue with a storming finish to gain victory in 11.35 seconds. After the race, Hedley commented, "I come from a running family. My grandfather Brian, my uncle Eddie and my cousin John have all ran at Border Games in the past years, so it's a great thrill for me to have won the Jedburgh Sprint. I felt good when I won my heat, but then lost my cross-tie and thought my chance had gone until hearing I was fastest loser. It was a second opportunity so I had to go for it, and I managed to pull it off, but it was a really close final."