In photos: Lauder’s Marc Wilkinson racks up second win of Borders Cross-Country Series at Galashiels

Clocking 22 minutes and nine seconds for a 6.7km course starting at Gala Policies, Wilkinson finished over a minute ahead of runner-up Julian Barrable, of Edinburgh’s Corstorphine Amateur Athletics Club.

That was his second win of the eight-round series, having finished first at its Spittal meeting in December in 22:30 and as runner-up at Lauder in 27:51 and Peebles in 23:56, both in November.

Wilkinson’s tally of two wins was just behind the hat-tricks notched up by Moorfoot Runners junior Thomas Hilton and Edinburgh’s Tom Martyn.

Hilton won at Denholm in February, Dunbar in January and on home turf at Peebles in November and Martyn, of the capital’s Hunters Bog Trotters club, got back first at Lauder in November, Paxton in January and Duns in February.

Wilkinson was one of three Borderers to make the top ten of a field of 179 contesting Sunday’s senior race, the others being Gala Harriers over-40s Gary Trewartha and Iain Stewart. The former clocked 24:45 for eighth place and the latter 24:59 for tenth.

Three more managed top-20 finishes – Gala’s Tim Darlow and Francis McElroy, 14th in 25:51 and 20th in 27:06, and Lauderdale’s Leahn Parry, 18th in 26:21 – and Parry’s clubmate Andrew Howett wasn’t far behind, finishing 21st in 27:14.

London’s Hollie Hindley was first female finisher out of 78, and 19th overall, in 26:38.

Lauderdale over-40 Naomi Dijkman was the first female Borderer back, and 43rd all told, in 29:20 and Moorfoot’s Coreen McGovern was the fastest of 22 women over-50, clocking 33:38 for 81st place altogether.

Gala’s Ian Maxwell was first back of the 19 men over 60 competing, and 31st overall, in 27:52 and Moorfoot’s Mike Goddard beat three other male runners over 70 with a time of 33:12 for 77th place all told.