Selkirk athletics coach Colin Bruce led by example last Friday when searing up the Castleholm track to take the 2015 Langholm Games Sprint title.
Some heavy morning rain had been replaced by bright afternoon sunshine as the runners warmed up for the 90 metre event.
Impressive wins in both his heat and cross-tie earned the 50-year-old Souter, who has his own running school based in Hawick, a final spot along with Jed AC pair Martha Douglas (19m) and Scott Richardson (8.5m), Hawick duo David Hush (20m) and David Lauder (12.5m), plus Cameron Grieve of TLJT (8m).
A two-times winner of the Selkirk Games and Jedburgh Games sprints, Bruce got off to a perfect start from his 13 metre mark before hitting full throttle down the track to break the tape in 10.04 seconds, bagging himself the £1, 000 prize pot in the process. Hush finished second and Lauder third.
Speaking after the final, Bruce said: “My starting has been good throughout the season in the sprints, but I haven’t quite been able to hold on at the finish of the race.
“It was a 90m today, however, and that suited me just fine as it was shorter, and I thought I was in with a chance.
“Martha Douglas and Davie Hush were in front of me and that was a good target. It’s just great to have won the Langholm sprint.”
This weekend Bruce will travel to Morebattle for the final meeting on the 2015 Border Games circuit. There he will run off 14 metres in the 110m sprint while son Craig is also entered and goes from 11m.
Further athletics success came Selkirk’s way last Saturday at the Celtic Cup meeting in Grangemouth.
Competing for Scotland distance specialist Zaynah Aziz claimed the silver medal in the 1500 metres steeplechase behind Lucy Davis of Wales.
In only her fifth outing in the discipline the 15-year-old set a new best time of 5.25.11, and that was after admitting to her Twitter followers, “me and water jumps have a strong love hate relationship”.
Also representing his country at the meeting was local triple jumper Henry Clarkson, 16, who finished third in his event with a new best distance of 13.50 metres.