Auldearn athlete is Scottish 110 metres hurdles champion and makes history for Nairn club
Nairn Area Amateur Athletic Club athlete Will Hodi claimed the biggest win of his career as he was crowned Scottish champion.
The 20-year-old from Auldearn stormed to victory as he was crowned national 110 metres hurdle champion at the Scottish Championships held in Grangemouth.
He took gold at the national championship as he finished in a time of 15.13 seconds. He was ahead of Alister Mackay of Team East Lothian in second place in a time of 15.38 and Conal Farquhar of Kilbarchan in third place in 15.40.
The former Nairn Academy and Aberdeen Music School pupil was crowned Scottish decathlon champion at under-20 level two years ago. But this is the first time he has won a national title at senior level.
He is believed to be the first senior national champion from Nairn Area Amateur Athletic Club.
Hodi, who is studying maths in his final year at Loughborough University, says winning the Scottish title in the 110 metres hurdles, is the biggest win of his athletics career so far.
He said: “I have put a lot of hard work into this so it is nice to get a reward out of it.
“Over senior hurdles, it was the fastest race that I have done and I am very pleased with how I ran.
“I compete in decathlon and the 110 metres hurdles is one of my best events so I competed in that individual event.”
Hodi was also competing in the decathlon, but had to pull out after seven events into the 10-event contest due to a knee injury.
Hodi has been a member of Nairn Area Amateur Athletic Club for over a decade, first joining the club when he was nine.
He trained at the club regularly until he went to Aberdeen Music School and then moved to England to study Loughborough University.
However, he trains with Nairn Area Amateur Athletic Club when he is back home.
Hodi says he is looking to concentrate on decathlon and hopes he can put his injury hit season behind him.
But he says he will return to the Scottish Championships next year to defend his 110 metres hurdles title.
“I had a lot of injuries this year and I have been working on recovering. But hopefully I will be back to decathlon full time next year.
“That is my season finished and I am going into winter training.
“I would like to try and do well at decathlon and like to achieve 7000 points or go sub 15 seconds in the hurdles.
“Obviously I will be coming back next year to try and retain my 110 metre hurdles title.
“Hurdles is definitely one of my best events in the decathlon.”
