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Eilish wins gold in Birmingham in August (photo by Bobby Gavin)<\/strong><\/p>\n Alex lands MBE honour<\/a><\/p>\n When Alex Jackson<\/strong> was named on the Queen\u2019s Birthday Honours List<\/strong> in June 2018, we reported that he was \u2018more accustomed to presenting cross country medals than receiving one from royalty<\/em>\u2018.<\/p>\n Alex had landed the Member of the British Empire (MBE) medal and our story was met with widespread support, celebration and appreciation as our community shared the moment with a volunteer who has had a \u2018ringside seat\u2019 at so many events over the past four or five decades.<\/p>\n Or, indeed, to be more accurate, has helped make hundreds of events happen.<\/p>\n Four years on and there\u2019s another story to tell and very much of the \u2018eye witness\u2019 variety.<\/p>\n When Alex volunteered for the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham last summer, he probably didn\u2019t expect to revisit so vividly his experiences of Edinburgh some 36 years earlier in 1986.<\/p>\n But that\u2019s what happened, as he explains here . . .<\/p>\n Alex lands Lifetime Achievement award from sportscotland<\/a><\/p>\n \u2018I am fortunate to have some special memories from athletics over the years and here are a few from two of those moments \u2013 from Edinburgh in 1986 and Birmingham last summer.<\/p>\n \u2018There will be others who can say \u2018I was there\u2019 with the regard to both Liz (Lynch)<\/strong> and Eilish (McColgan)<\/strong> and I\u2019ve no doubt they will have their own recollections.<\/p>\n \u2018At the Commonwealth Games in Edinburgh in 1986 I was Press team for Athletics at Meadowbank. As journalists from different counties requested athletes after races, it meant escorting the athletes to them and helping organise press conferences after races.<\/p>\n \u2018The Women\u2019s 10,000m in the closing stages was down to an enthralling race between Liz Lynch and Anne Audain<\/strong> of New Zealand.<\/p>\n With two laps to go, Liz moved to the front and the winning margin was much greater than that at Birmingham 2022 \u2013 but the crowd noise was deafening.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n \u2018I recall Hilda Everett<\/strong>, who was the Scottish Women\u2019s Team Manager, being very emotional afterwards.<\/p>\n \u2018The press conference in the Meadowbank hall afterwards was packed with journalists. Sandy Sutherland<\/strong> of the Scotsman turned to me and said that if Liz hadn\u2019t won it would probably have been only himself and Doug Gillon<\/strong> of the Glasgow Herald talking to her . . .<\/p>\n Liz and Jenny Selman greet Eilish on her Alexander Stadium lap of honour (photo by Bobby Gavin)<\/strong><\/p>\n \u2018For Birmingham 2022, I volunteered again and was a member Medal ceremony team for Athletics.<\/p>\n \u2018The tasks for the role involved carrying medal trays, escorting athletes and VIPs who were presenting medals.<\/p>\n I was lucky enough to be \u2018on shift\u2019 the night of the Women\u2019s 10,000m and watched the race from the tunnel \u2013 looking out to the track and sometimes looking up at the big screens.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n \u2018As the leading athletes reduced from three to two with two laps to go, only Eilish and Irine Cheptai (Kenya) were left at the front.<\/p>\n The crowd volume increased till the home straight on the last lap when it became a crescendo as Eilish did what her mum had done some 36 years before.<\/p>\n Love seeing old results like this! <\/p>\n East District XC in 2007. @SarahInglis5<\/a> absolutely spanking us all. I came 4th. A certain @lauramuiruns<\/a> in 8th & @JennySelman2<\/a> in 21st. <\/p>\n ALL of us representing \ud83c\udff4\udb40\udc67\udb40\udc62\udb40\udc73\udb40\udc63\udb40\udc74\udb40\udc7f next week! <\/p>\n Me & Sarah in the 5&10, Jenny in the 800 & Laura in the 1500m. pic.twitter.com\/4gIG0PJYeY<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Eilish McColgan (@EilishMccolgan) July 28, 2022<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n \u2018In the tunnel before the medal ceremony while Elish was sitting waiting to be escorted outside I went across and said to her: \u2018So the U17 Women\u2019s athlete who finished fourth in an East District Cross County league meeting at Kirkcaldy in 2007 . . . is now a Commonwealth Champion!<\/em><\/p>\n \u2018The background to this was that in the build-up to the Games I had found a result from a cross country race in 2007 when four women who were in the 2022 Scotland team had all raced at Kirkcaldy: Eilish, Sarah Inglis, Laura Muir<\/strong> and Jenny Tan (now Selman) <\/strong><\/p>\n \u2018The Scottish Athletics media channels picked it up and the historic link to those four athletes went a wee bit viral on social media \u2013 with the women involved contributing. It was great to see.<\/p>\n \u2018After the medal ceremony was over and Eilish came in to sit down again I said to her: \u2018I don\u2019t know who was more emotional at the playing of Flower of Scotland during the medal ceremony- me or you\u201d.<\/p>\n \u2018Edinburgh 1986 and Birmingham 2002: a tale of two magic moments on the track for Scotland and memorable and very special occasions for me.\u2019<\/p>\n With thanks to Alex<\/strong><\/p>\n Tags:<\/strong>![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.scottishathletics.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/alexphoto-1024x576.jpg\")
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\tAlex Jackson<\/a>, Birmingham 2022<\/a>, Edinburgh 1986<\/a>, Eilish McColgan<\/a>, Liz Lynch<\/a>\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n