Title defence begins and Beach Race returns during the weekend’s sport

Orkney Football Club kick their North Caledonian League title defence underway, and the biggest motocross event of the year takes place during this weekend’s sport.

In a change of venue, Orkney FC will host Thurso at the KGS grass pitch, not Dounby as previously scheduled on Saturday at 12.30pm.

The footballers will be seeking revenge having suffered a 3-2 home defeat to the Vikings last time around and will be desperate to start their 2018/19 season with a victory.

Also in football news, two cup finals will be played as the domestic summer season nears a conclusion.

Thorfinn and Hotspurs will contest the Heddle Cup tonight (Friday) starting from 6.15pm at Picky, and on Sunday, Sandwick and Stromness Burgh meet in Stromness in the Thornley Binders Cup Final with kick-off at 4pm.

Orkney’s rugby players open their Tennent’s National League Division 3 campaign at home to West of Scotland RFC on Saturday at 1pm.

Meanwhile, riders from Orkney and further afield are gearing up for the most high-profile and popular racing event of the year.

The Orkney Beach Race will see riders tackle the 3.6-mile track at the Bu Sands in Burray on Sunday, with the adults beginning the three-hour test of endurance from 1pm. The junior classes will begin the racing after race registration closes at 9am.

Heddle Hill is the venue for a full day’s racing on Saturday, with 100 riders expected during the course of the weekend.

An Orkney runner is raising money for motor neurone disease (MND) research this weekend, tackling the Glenmore 24-hour race on Saturday.

Neil McCartney will attempt to run 100 miles, completing as many four-mile loops in 24 hours as possible in the heart of the Cairngorms National Park on Saturday.

Inspired by the recent efforts to raise money for the My Name’5 Doddie Foundation — established by Scotland legend Doddie Weir after his own MND diagnosis — Mr McCartney is preparing for his “biggest personal challenge” to date.

He said: “My challenge is nothing in comparison to what Doddie and his family are facing, but it sets out my support to his charity foundation, which is raising funds to aid research into the causes of motor neurone disease and potential cures.”

He has beaten his original fundraising total of £1,000 but you can still donate at: www.justgiving.com/fundraising/neil-mccartney2

This is just some of the things going on during another busy weekend of Orkney sport.