Garscube among medals at national cross country championships

The club contingent did themselves proud across a variety of age groups - with pride of place going to Anya MacLean in the under-15 girls’ race.

Not only did she come home with individual medal for the second year running, taking bronze to go with last year’s silver medal, but she also led Garscube to third place in the team race.

Club youth coach John Bell said: “What can I say about Anya MacLean that I haven’t already said - outstanding athlete with a heart of a lion to medal at this event two years in a row blows my mind.”

Ellie Hinks also produced an outstanding run to finish 11th and the duo were backed up by Mia Padmanabhan and Isabelle Burnside whose finishes of 36th and 42nd respectively secured the team bronze.

Not only did the championships feature a record turnout for the club, but for the first time in the club’s history there were athletes competing in every age group and category of U13, U15, U17, U20 and seniors.

And there were a host of superb performances, particularly from the club’s junior runners.

Lorn Webster, a major pre-race doubt, stormed to fourth in the under-17 men’s race and had Elliot Duff not suffered a suspected broken ankle while coming through the field, team gold might well have been Garscube’s. As it was Jack Trainer (15th), Murphy Hand (46th) and James Cathro (50th) still finished fifth.

Another outstanding performance was delivered by Fergus Currie who, in his first year at the age group, finished 10th in the under-13 boys’ event while Jackson Adams also had a stormer to claim a top 25 finish.

Cody Stevenson ran a very mature race to finish 24th in a heavy loaded men’s under-20 field.

In the senior events Katie White finished a terrific 10th in the ladies’ event while first home for Garscube in the men’s event was Garry Mathew in 37:29, and along with team-mates Finlay Finlay, Alasdair MacMillan, Grant Macdonald, Alex Chalmers and Stephen Porteous finished 15th in the team standings.