Sport
4 January, 2024
A homecoming of sorts for Scottish runner Declan Gall
In many ways, Monday’s Maryborough Highland Gathering felt like a bit of a homecoming for Scotland’s Declan Gall. “The event is actually really similar to the meets back in Scotland. In a lot of the Victorian Athletic League meets, the running...
In many ways, Monday’s Maryborough Highland Gathering felt like a bit of a homecoming for Scotland’s Declan Gall.
“The event is actually really similar to the meets back in Scotland. In a lot of the Victorian Athletic League meets, the running is fantastic, but you miss out on all the extras.”
“I pulled up and heard the bagpipes, and it was music to my ears, it was unbelievable and it really got the blood flowing,” he said.
“To see the caber toss, the stones and the weight throwing, that’s all the stuff that we have back home, and the Highland dancing was going on in the back. It’s awesome, and it was really good. I bought a few things that remind me of home too.”
Gall was being celebrated on Monday — and with good reason.
Back in Scotland, Gall was the athlete of the year in the Highland Games circuit, and was surprised with the King Charles III Medal.
“It was completely unexpected. In the 2023 season back home during our summer, doing the Highland Games circuit, the winner of the best athlete of the year is fortunate enough to get the King Charles Medal, and luckily, I won it,” he said.
Gall is competing in the Victorian Athletic League, with his pet event established as the 400 metres.
However, while he has come close, he hasn’t quite tasted success yet — with the experience proving to be a terrific learning curve for Gall.
“It’s completely different over here. Back home, we have great crowds, but in a smaller country, there’s only six million of us, whereas in Victoria, there is six million alone,” he said.
“The depth of competition is so much greater here in Australia, and the tracks are a lot quicker — I’m used to running in sheep fields.
“But that’s what the Highland Games are all about, it’s typically farmers that get the fields ready, but here, it’s really professional and pristine.
“The competition is next level; everyone here is really fast and it’s making it really tough to win. I haven’t won a race yet, I’m still trying, and have finished second, third, fourth and fifth, but I’m getting closer. It’s been fantastic though.”
Gall says a memory he’ll take out of the event was the crowd interest in the Highland games, which piqued the interest of many, particularly in the grandstand at Princes Park.
“The crowd was awesome, it’s great back home when the crowd really gets behind the runners, especially the backmarkers as they come through,” he said.
“But the crowd was awesome when the throws were going on, there was always big cheers.”