25 January 2014

On the eve of Burns Night, British Athletics launched their own version of a traditional address to a haggis, with a number of British athletes reciting lines of the original poem.

Martyn Rooney (coach: Rana Reider) recited the opening lines, before athletes such as Olympic high jump bronze medallist Robbie Grabarz (Fuzz Ahmed) and 2013 Diamond League long jump winner Shara Proctor (Reider) played their part. Lynsey Sharp (Terrance Mahon) rounded out the video, which was particularly fitting as the Scottish athlete will receive her European Championships 800m gold medal at the Sainsbury’s Glasgow International Match on Burns Night itself.

There was also a Scottish twist to the pre-event press conference, as William Sharman (Jerzy Maciukiewicz), Eilidh Child (Malcolm Arnold), Bernard Lagat, Richard Browne & Kim Collins were brought in to the sound of bagpipes, before one of the pipers performed the traditional address in its full glory.

The Sainsbury’s Glasgow International Match kicks off at 1pm on Saturday 25 January with the inaugural Club:Connect relays for local athletes. The event is being broadcast live on BBC One from 1.45pm, so tune in then to catch all the action.