BIG crowds are expected today at the Castleholm track as a bonanza of events, including a full athletics card and horse racing, get under way at Langholm Common-Riding.
Main race on the athletics front is the 90m handicap, which will be run off in eight heats.
Several Hawick sprinters are set to get down on their marks in this one, including Aiden Patterson from the Ross Weir school. Now competing as a senior, Pa
tterson, who made his mark on the games circuit as a youth, showed up well in reaching the final of the St Ronan's Games 110m handicap last Saturday, and is off a mark of 7m.
John Paxton, another beaten finalist at Innerleithen, will run from 11.5m. Also going for Hawick are Ryan Trimby (9m), Isan Barskanmay (6.5m), Lee Notman (4.5m), Drew Bryson (15.5m), Glyn Davies (6m), David Lauder (7.5m), David Hush (15.5m) and Ross Weir (15.5m).
The same group of athletes are also in the 200m handicap.
Speaking of his running school, Ross Weir told the Hawick News: "We are a small school and haven't had a win yet. But we are starting to come strong. Aiden Patterson's running is improving and he showed this by reaching the final of the sprint at St Ronan's Games last week.
"Mark Young is also coming on a bundle. He is off a very tight mark but gave a great show in coming in third in the 800m at St Ronan's.
"Drew Bryson has now joined the school," continued Weir. "He was with the 'Chico' Woods camp from Jedburgh at the start of the season, but he has now deciced to throw his lot in with us, which is great.
"Although he's not run for a while through injury, Drew is quite fit and I think he could show up pretty well."
Alex Corbett takes the tape in Saturday's 1,600m handicap at St Ronan's.
Following his fine win in the 1,600m handicap at St Ronan's, Alex Corbett (102.5m) lines up in the 800m handicap against fellow Hawick runners Stewart Fraser (35m), Derek Scott (105m), Ross Corbett (97.5m) and Reece Taylor (50m).
Competing from scratch, Darrell Hastie of Kelso is back-marker in the 1,600m handicap, which includes Stewart Fraser (40m), Alex Corbett (85m), Derek Scott (150m) and Keith Murray (200m).
A big entry has been received for the youths' 90m handicap. And the Hawick youngsters in this one are: L. Sanderson (18.5m), K. Potts (24.5m), B. Douglas (23.5m), E. Imray (9m), G. McPherson (7.5m), C. Wilson (16.5m), G. Paxton (19.5m), J. Hodgins (24m), D. Henderson (14m), J. Wilson (24.5m), L. Mallin (6.5m) and J. Parker (8.5m).
These same runners also battle for honours in the six-heat youths' 200m handicap.
Hawick's Mark McEwan, who has had an excellent season, runs from a mark of 110m in the youths' 1,600m handicap. And also in the mile are Laura Corbett (340m) and Josh Noble (165m).
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