Scottish Athletics AGM- Congratulations John Mackay!
This weekend, the main event was the Scottish Athletics AGM, which was attended by Gary Woods (Club President) and John Mackay (Club Secretary) on behalf of the club.
You can check out the news report from the AGM on the Scottish Athletics website.
I am sure everyone in the club, and the wider athletics community, would like to send their congratulations to John, who was confirmed as an Honorary Life Member of Scottish Athletics at the AGM.
John started his involvement in athletics as a 12-year-old boy in Clydebank 54 years ago. His involvement continued as an athlete, coach and committee member of three clubs- Clydesdale Harriers, Clydebank AC and, of course, Shettleston Harriers.
In 1987, he joined Shettleston Harriers after marrying Elaine Scally (Mackay), whose family have been involved with Shettleston since 1928.
His effect was immediate, helping the club restore itself to a highly competitive endurance club. If you look at the Scottish Athletics statistics, you will see John featured in Scottish Rankings for over 20 years, over distances ranging from 800m to the half marathon.
On an individual basis, John has represented Scotland both outdoors and indoors on the track. He was British Colleges champion over 800m/1500m in the 1980s, British Professional 3200m Champion and was the first amateur to win at the famous Powderhall Games before athletics became open.
This followed a family tradition, when Elaine’s grandfather Allan Scally, who was World Professional 10-mile Champion, had won at the Games a number of times in the 1920s.
John often says that all the titles and medals could not replace two events for him. His best memories are representing the club in the European Club Championships and being part of the team which broke the Allan Scally Relay Record on the original course. He was running with his friends, training partners and club coaches who had moulded his life.
It was during one of these European Club Championships that he was asked to join the club committee in the 1990s, and he has served in different roles over the years.
John was awarded Honorary Life Membership of the club in 2004 and was highly involved in all the club’s centenary activities. His interest in the history of our sport can be seen through his contribution to the club’s centenary history book and his contribution to the Scottish Cross Country and Road Archive.
In 2022, he was awarded the Tom Stillie Sword by Scottish Athletics, and in 2023 he was awarded the Glasgow Sports Service to Sport Award for his outstanding commitment to our sport.
Club members will know of his involvement in the organisation of the Allan Scally Relay, Babcock Shettleston 10km and our Open Graded Meetings. Along with others in the club, these Gold Standard events have led to the club being asked to organise National Championships on behalf of Scottish Athletics.
There is a lot more to John, but that can wait for another day!
The last person from the club to be awarded Honorary Life Membership of Scottish Athletics was John’s father-in-law, Bill Scally. John now joins a list of some of the greats from the club who have shaped Shettleston Harriers over the last 123 years.
All of these great men are now in running heaven, but will be looking down with pride on the club:
Peter Carton, David Ferguson, David Morrison, Alex Naylor, Eddie Taylor and Bill Scally.
We will feature John in a full story in the coming weeks and hopefully get an interview online.
John will receive his award at the Scottish Athletics Awards Dinner on 14 November.
Below: John with the Tom Stillie Sword, alongside Ron Morrison, President of Scottish Athletics and son of David Morrison.
Linlithgow 10km
Two athletes made the journey to take part in the Linlithgow 10km.
| Pos | Athlete | Time | Chip Time | Category | Gender Position | Overall Position |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 22 | Marc Auchie | 37:51 | 37:48 | SEN | 18th of 219 | 22nd of 531 |
| 26 | Callum Butterworth | 38:05 | 38:04 | SEN | 20th of 219 | 25th of 531 |
Inverness Marathon
One athlete made the journey north to take part in the Inverness Marathon.
34th – Louie Doig – 2:54:54
Parkrun Round Up
Tollcross parkrun, Glasgow
| Position | Gender Position | Athlete | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Ronnie Strachan | 17:08 |
| 15 | 15 | David F Murphy | 22:52 |
| 35 | 4 | Joanne Harkins | 29:05 |
Pollok parkrun, Glasgow
| Position | Gender Position | Athlete | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Cameron Muir | 16:35 |
Cuningar Loop parkrun
| Position | Gender Position | Athlete | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 2 | Matthew Fancourt | 17:56 |
| 9 | 9 | Cameron Maguire | 21:09 |
| 10 | 10 | Harry Bell | 21:10 |
| 14 | 13 | Callum Bell | 21:43 |
Palacerigg Country parkrun
| Position | Gender Position | Athlete | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | 4 | John J Duffy | 22:34 |
Lytham Hall parkrun
| Position | Gender Position | Athlete | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 212 | 62 | Emma Maclean | 32:27 |
| 227 | 74 | Ellie Ryan | 33:43 |
| 267 | 101 | Rebecca Ryan | 39:01 |
