Edinburgh AC marked a proud moment for Scottish athletics ahead of tonight's Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games Men's One Mile Final, with Jake Wightman and Josh Kerr celebrated as two alumni who have carried the club's standards all the way to the world stage.
The pre-race event at Meadowbank Athletics Track brought together the club, National Lottery support and a clear sense of occasion, with both athletes recognised for reaching a final that carries real weight for Scotland. It also underlined the wider pathway behind them: clubs, coaches and facilities all playing a part in turning potential into elite performance.
Why the final matters
Josh Kerr's record-breaking form has only sharpened the spotlight. In July 2026, the 27-year-old broke Hicham El Guerrouj's previous mile world record in London, clocking three minutes, 42.66 seconds. That gives the final extra significance, but it does not reduce the challenge facing Jake Wightman or Kerr when the race begins.
The point from Edinburgh AC was not that the result is already decided. It was that both athletes have reached this level through a long-term system that has helped Scotland produce major championship contenders. The club's message was simple: the work done at Meadowbank matters, and it shows up in moments like this.
Backed by a wider system
Lee McConnell said the celebration was a fantastic moment for Scottish athletics and a direct result of National Lottery investment. She said that funding does more than support elite athletes, adding that it underpins the clubs, coaches and facilities that give young athletes in Scotland the chance to progress.
McConnell also said Josh and Jake have taken the lessons learned on this track all the way to the world stage, and that everyone present was proud to wish them good luck for tonight. Her point was that success at the top is not accidental. It comes from a base that has to be built and maintained.
That theme ran through the event. Since 1994, more than £525 million has been invested into sport in Scotland through more than 10,000 grants, and Meadowbank was presented as one of the places where that support has helped strengthen both coaching and facilities.
What Edinburgh AC wanted to say
Eric Fisher said seeing Josh and Jake line up for a Commonwealth Games mile final together was something he could only have dreamed of when they were first training there with him. He added that Edinburgh AC gave them the foundations, and that National Lottery funding continuing to support clubs like theirs gives the next generation the same opportunity.
Yvonne Jones echoed that pride, saying it is a huge source of satisfaction for everyone at Edinburgh AC to have seven athletes competing at the Commonwealth Games, including Josh and Jake. She also said the facilities and coaching at Meadowbank have been strengthened by National Lottery support, and that this helps athletes at every level.
So while the headline moment is the Men's One Mile Final itself, the wider message is about continuity. Wightman and Kerr may be the names on the start list, but the celebration at Meadowbank was also about the system that helped produce them. For Edinburgh AC, this is proof that the pathway works — and proof that tonight's final is about more than one race.
