Congratulations to Livingston coach Sandra Hardacre who has been awarded an MBE in the New Year Honours List for voluntary services to athletics.

As the lead coach for middle distance at Livingston AC, Sandra has volunteered at the club for over 20 years, moving to the area from Dunfermline when she married.

Sandra was born and brought up in Dunfermline and, as a young athlete at Pitreavie AC, was the Under 13 National Cross Country Champion in 1975 and Scottish champion in the 800m in the late 1970s. She also began coaching at Pitreavie in her late teens.

She has had over 50 years involvement in athletics and is a level 4 official for track and endurance internationals. She is a familiar figure at National and District cross country and road running events throughout Scotland and was a Technical Official at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.

As a respected coach at Livingston, Sandra enjoys coaching endurance athletes to achieve their best and the letter from Buckingham Palace which dropped through her letterbox on November 28 2024 came as a huge shock, and news she had to keep secret until the official announcement at the end of December.

"I just felt 'oh my goodness', and really privileged that I should get an award like that. Not many people get it" she said.

"I love to see everyone I coach doing really well and the athletes in the rest of the club. Watching young athletes come through from kids to adults, I just love it. It has been my life and I love the officiating side of it also."

Thank you Sandra for all your dedication and commitment to Scottish Athletics and to Livingston and it's young athletes.