LEITHENBURN will lead the Peeblesshire charge on Sunday in a bid for New Year glory.

John Motion's Innerleithen-based track club have been picking up titles and trophies throughout the summer at the Borders and Highland games circuits.

And they claimed most of the final places at last year's New Sprint meeting despite not quite managing to claim any victories.

Although last year's 90 metres runner-up Louis Whyte isn't entered for this year's sprint, a dozen Leithenburn athletes will feature in the eight heats.

Eve Rathie, who finished fifth in last year's final, is four metres down from her start of 12 months ago.

But with defending champion Maddison Murdoch and third-placed Finn Douglas both back 5.5 metres the Innerleithen teenager, who won the sprint title at Inverkeithing Highland Games in the summer, should again go close.

Some of Leithenburn's new stars could also reach the final with Birnam Highland Games winner Tiegan Gibb going in heat one from the back mark of 23.5 metres.

And 11-year-old Mia Pryde, who was named as Leithenburn's most improved athlete of 2018, will be hoping to hold off Kelso flyer Ben Lyall in heat eight.

In last year's Under 13s 200 metres final Leithenburn claimed four of the six final places.

And it is expected that the Innerleithen athletes could yet again be amongst the qualifiers from the heats.

The youths races on Sunday (December 30) are part of the supporting programme for the 150th running of the New Sprint.

The youths' 90 metres heats at Meadowmill Sports Centre come under starter's orders at 11am with the heats of the 110 metres New Year Sprint starting at 11.25am.

Don't miss next week's Peeblesshire News for a full report from both days athletics.