Athletics: Sandilands world win the major Fife Athletic Club highlight on weekend also featuring numerous parkruns

Sandilands, 19, closed the race with a blistering last 200m to move up from fifth place to first, crossing the line in 3:52.42 which is a new championship record.

Sandilands' Fife AC team-mate Owen Miller finished seventh in 3:58.22, while fellow Fife runner Steven Bryce, who competes for Victoria Park City of Glasgow Athletics Club, was 13th in 4:03.80.

All three athletes are coached by Steve Doig and it is a testament to Doig’s excellent leadership that three of his athletes were competing in the world final.

Meanwhile, at Sunday’s Splash and Dash, a two lap, 4.5-mile beach race on the West Sands beach at St Andrews, five of the eight runners from Fife AC and Kirkcaldy Wizards finished as prizewinners.

Stephen Dickson achieved a bronze medal podium place in a time of 29:02.

Youngster Matthew Fisher was hot on Dickson's heels, finishing fourth and first male junior.

Rob Justice was first male 50 in 33:42, which also saw him ranked 10th overall.

Christian Harding was first male 40 in a time of 34:35. Maggie Justice finished as first female 50 in 37:13.

There were also superb runs for Kim Izatt (43:34) and Jill Watson (44:33), plus Mike Fisher (47:16) of Fife AC.

The Kirkcaldy Wizards’ opening meeting took place at Kirkcaldy Golf Club on Friday evening.

The highlight of the night was undoubtedly Paralympian Derek Rae's talk, where he shared a captivating and inspiring insight into his journey as a para athlete.

And the Wizards crowned their Wizard of the Month for July as Dorota Park, who has racked up the miles and excelled across the distances in what has been a strong and consistent 2023 so far.

Top Wizards performers at last weekend’s Kirkcaldy Parkrun were: 6 Gary Whitton 20:22 (PB), 13 George MacLeod 21:20, 16 Ken McIlroy 21:36, 33 Jimmy Robertson 23:06, 43 Stephen Dickson 24:15, 52 Gary Keary 24:38, 59 Stephen Mathieson 25:09, 61 Shona Ross 25:13, 66 Rona Inglis 25:40, 70 Ben MacDonald 26:23, 85 Lindsey Robertson 27:19, 87 Nicky Sutherland 27:31, 90 Dawn Cameron 27:46, 91 Stephen Wilson 27:47 and 92 Gail McNab 27:54.

Other top 100 performers at the various parkruns were:

Reading – 33 Rob Justice 22:40, 59 Maggie Justice 24:20; Edinburgh – 17 Daniel Hale 18:13, 37 Andy Harley 19:49, 49 Michaela McLean 20:15; Chippenham – 83 Brian Adams 27:33; St Andrews – 1 Jamie Lessels 16:31, 49 Nick Brian 24:39; Penrith – 35 Greg Wilson 21:55; Poppintree – 49 Niamh Gibbons 26:45; Dunfermline – 10 Ben Laing 21:49, 77 Judith Arnstein 27:18; Lochore Meadows – 26 Ryan Campbell-Hodge 26:20, 27 Chris Payne 26:41, 62 Claire Jurecki 32:40, 65 Laura Roy 33:41, 91 Jennifer Bennett 42:50; Loch Leven – 42 Flora Louden 27:49, 70 Derek Adamson 46:27; Hay Lodge – 12 Stuart Goodfellow 24:12; Meadowmill – 26 Heather Finlayson 25:53, 35 Kevin O'Neill 27:29; Faskally Forest – 16 Jimmy McIntyre 24:26.