For many of a certain age, New Year used to be synonymous with, among other events, the Powderhall Sprint.

Although the passage of years brings many changes in habits at this time – does anybody actually go "first footing" nowadays and whatever happened to black bun? – it is cheering to note that the Sprint will soon celebrate its 150th anniversary meeting, making it the world’s oldest continuous track event.

Now referred to as the New Year Sprint, the heats took place on Sunday at Prestonpans with the Finals on New Year’s Day at Musselburgh Racecourse alongside the National Hunt Meeting, with a special prize of £8000 for the winner on this landmark occasion.

Although Powderhall Stadium no longer exists, it is central to the story of the Sprint as the venue where it began and was its home for the first 100 years. It is still regarded as its spiritual home.

In the mid Victorian era before football developed, professional running events became hugely popular with the potential betting wins from handicap races attracting thousands of punters.

Its popularity grew in Edinburgh and Glasgow and by the 1860s the capital had three venues, the Royal Patent Gymnasium Grounds near Scotland Street, the Portobello Recreation Grounds and the Newington Running Grounds, the latter two albeit of only short duration.

In 1869 a syndicate led by CR Bauchope was formed to develop Powderhall Stadium as "an up to date athletic enclosure". Bauchope was a noted amateur athlete and Edinburgh University’s inaugural Sports Champion in 1866.

The first New Year Sprint was held over two days in 1870 attracting a crowd of 25,000 and would go on to enjoy enormous popularity with many world-class sprinters competing.

Fittingly the winners of the first and last Powderhall Sprints were two of the very best of their eras – Dan Wight of Jedburgh and George McNeill of Tranent – the latter reckoned by some to be faster than Allan Wells.

Other winners such as Willie McFarlane of Glasgow, referred to as "Clyde built" who won in 1933 and 1934, off scratch, Eric Cumming of Australia (1952) and Ricky Dunbar of Edinburgh (1963) were at least Olympic class while Aussie Jack Donaldson (the "Blue Streak") who was unlucky not to win, was also in the same bracket.

The American Barney Ewell, silver medallist in both sprints at the 1948 Olympics, was another star performer in 1950, and was by then a professional.

From 1971 to 1998 the Sprint was held at Meadowbank where world-class winners included Americans "Kipper" Bell and Bill Snoddy while Edinburgh’s European champion Herioter Doug Walker won the 125th event, the first to feature amateurs.

Since 1999, the finals have been held at Musselburgh where winners included Ben Robbins in 2013, now a professional rugby player, and Jazmine Tomlinson, the first female success, in 2016.

One person who treasures memories of Powderhall particularly dearly is Edinburgh’s Sammy Cain. At nearly 94 years old, he is believed to be the oldest surviving winner of the Sprint.

His "day of days" came in 1945 when, aged 19, he confounded the odds to run off with the title on his debut.

A talented young footballer for juvenile team Broughton Athletic, he was also a useful boxer. Although he never competed in athletics, his pace was noted at football training, leading to one of his club’s officials asking him to run a trial against his brother who was training for Powderhall.

lt took place at Hawkhill, Leith with Sammy coming a distant second and thinking his sprinting career was over before it started.

However, George McKinlay had different ideas. He was a former sprinter and then coach who had observed the trial and saw his potential.

His overriding ambition was to train a Powderhall winner, never having won it himself.

Taking Sammy under his wing, he educated the youngster in how to run, how to move his arms, lift his knees and keep his head steady. Occasionally he timed runs, but never revealed the results.

He casually mentioned maybe entering him for Powderhall but made light of it. Sammy knew nothing about the event far less the betting involved and the secrecy enshrouding it. That was until one night. Whilst training at Hawkhill, he saw figures concealed in nearby bushes with binoculars – bookies weighing up form for the Sprint!

Runners began training in balaclavas to thwart identification and form being gauged. All this represented the great unknown for the naïve novice who then learned he had been entered and was off five and a half yards.

En route to the stadium he could not find his name among the entrants, only to be told by McKinlay he was running as "R Gordon", "R" for Richard, his elder brother and "Gordon", his younger brother.

On arrival, Sammy was shocked at the thousands of people milling around; punters, bookies, athletes and trainers. Once his heat was underway, nerves calmed and he won comfortably.

The next day he won his cross tie to reach the final in which the favourite was D Craven of Blaydon, off six yards, 2-5 on while he was 5-2 against.

The stadium stilled as the runners went to their marks, only for it to erupt once they were off. Thanks to a great start – McKinlay said he "flew out of the holes like a bird" – he edged ahead of Craven, winning by half a yard.

Punters swarmed everywhere to claim winnings and many pressed notes into Sammy’s hand in appreciation. He could barely comprehend the collective jubilation and the enormity of what he had achieved.

A first prize of £100 plus £300 as his share of the betting winnings was a fortune for a young man earning about £3 per week. Later he was feted in his local dance hall and spent the night shaking hands with everyone. Personal circumstances meant he was unable to continue running to any significant degree, but he harbours fond memories of life in the fast lane.

Although the days of big crowds and multiple bookies’ stances have gone, the New Year Sprint endures still as an iconic event. Much praise is due to promoter Frank Hanlon from Bonnyrigg, who has invested large sums from his own pocket to keep it alive.

Showing considerable prescience, DA Jamieson, an authority on professional running, wrote in 1943: "Probably the sport will ultimately die out . . . its survival must depend on the sympathetic attitude of private individuals."

It has, however, survived, although it may now be nearing life support status.

Having predated the Open Golf Championship, the first football and rugby internationals, the first Scottish Cup and League, Wimbledon and the first Scottish and British athletics championships, it is to be hoped it will continue as an integral part of Scottish sporting culture.