ARTHUR Smith was among the winners at the 2018 Sunday Mail sportscotland Scottish Sports Awards after picking up the Local Hero award.

Despite his 84 years, Arthur remains a permanent fixture on the track at Kilbarchan Amateur Athletics Club as he continues to nurture the next batch of young runners looking to follow in the footsteps of clubmates such as Jemma Reekie and Callum Hawkins.

After more than 50 years as a member and an honorary vice-president at the club, Arthur still maintains his love of the sport and imparts a lifetime’s worth of wisdom to the Renfrewshire teenagers as the lead coach of the girls’ endurance group.

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He’s there come rain or shine and has had a positive influence on hundreds of young athletes.

A star-studded guest list gathered on December 6 in Glasgow to celebrate another exceptional year for Scottish sport.

Other big winners on the night included the Scotland Women’s National Football Team who were named Team of the Year, while Head Coach Shelley Kerr was named Coach of the Year after guiding the team to their first ever World Cup in France next summer.

Chief Executive of sportscotland, Stewart Harris, said: “Congratulations to Arthur, he’s a fully deserving winner of this award after a lifetime of dedication to athletics and to Kilbarchan AAC.

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“There is terrific work being done by the sporting community to increase the opportunities for as many people as possible to take part in sport. It is wonderful to have another chance to recognise such dedicated and hard-working people alongside Scotland’s elite athletes.”