Borderers claim 19 top-20 places as east district cross-country league returns

Teviotdale Harriers’ Greg Walker was fourth of 126 in the male masters’ 7,800m race in 28:52, 1:50 behind Edinburgh winner Dermott Cummins, ending up 25th of 223 all together, and Gala Harriers’ Gary Trewartha was 13th in 31:42, placing 73rd all told.

Trewartha’s top-20 placing helped earn the Galashiels club’s masters fifth place, with fellow veterans Iain Stewart and Sinclair Hill respectively 34th in 34:37 and 45th in 35:44, and also counted towards their six-strong seniors team finishing fourth.

Gala’s other seniors were juniors Archie Dalgliesh and Oliver Hastie, 17th in 28:39 and 22nd in 28:48; senior Marcus D’Agrosa, 31st in 29:03; junior Sam Robertson, 74th in 31:44; and senior Daniel Lavin, 86th in 32:23. Teviotdale’s Sean Linton was 91st in 32:37.

Gala’s Katy Barden was third in the corresponding 5,200m women’s race in 22:24, with first place going to Central Athletic Club’s Morag Miller in 19:43, and 21st overall in a field of 131.

Barden led her masters team to a fourth-placed finish – backed up by fellow veterans Lisa Dalgliesh and Gillian Lunn, 27th of 68 in 26:38 and 28th in 26:53 – and her time also counted towards the club’s seniors’ ninth-placed showing.

Her fellow seniors were Eilidh Jaffray, 36th in 23:46; Rebecca Cudahy, 49th in 24:19; and junior Poppy Lunn, 54th in 24:33.

Seven junior races were also run at the Fife meeting, alongside those four for seniors, with one over 1,700 for under-12 girls setting off first and second place going to Team Borders.

Leona Runciman was tenth of 32 in 7:46, Mollie Ker 13th in 7:51, Freya Johnston 18th in 8:09 and Isobel Rossmann 25th in 8:53.

Teviotdale’s Struan Linton won the equivalent boys’ race in 6:13, with Team Borders’ Ewan McCarthy and Chase Donald third of 51 in 6:30 and fifth in 6:41.

Team Borders’ Rose Davidson won the under-14 girls’ 2,600m race in 9:50 and her teammates Rowan Johnston and Amber Lavin were third in 10:31 and 57th and last in 15:22, earning sixth place for their team. Teviotdale’s Freya Michie was 13th in 11:49.

Teviotdale’s Connor Davidson was third of 60 in the matching boys’ race in 9:49 and Team Borders’ Elliot Baxter and Leo Rossmann were 34th in 11:26 and 46th in 12:20.

Team Borders’ Molly Trewartha and Evie Leonard were ninth and tenth in 17:40 and 17:41 in a field of 80 contesting the 4,300m race for under-16 and under-18 girls, and together with Rosa Mabon, 21st in 18:15, they placed as fourth team.

Also representing Team Borders in that race were Isabella Moran, 23rd in 18:25; Jessica McCowan, 29th in 18:56; Vivienne Jones, 30th in 19:01; Holly Craig, 42nd in 19:37; Eilidh McGeoch, 49th in 20:05; Annabelle Stewart, 72nd in 22:22; and Rowan Farquhar, 74th in 22:47. Teviotdale’s Freya Walker was 50th in 20:05.

Teviotdale’s Alfey Mackenzie was 26th of 51 in the under-16 boys’ 4,300m race and his clubmate Callan Michie was 44th in 18:51. Running alongside them for Team Borders were Isaac Hastie, 36th in 18:10, and Mac Jamieson, 42nd in 18:51.

Team Borders’ Jack Foley was third in the 5,200m under-18 boys’ race in 18:20, followed by Seb Darlow, sixth in 18:28, and Gregor Adamson, ninth in 19:02, finishing as top team.

Also among that race’s field of 40 were their teammates Charlie Dalgliesh and Cameron Tunmore, 22nd in 20:07 and 35th in 22:09, and Teviotdakle’s Alfie Walker, 13th in 19:26.

The league’s next meeting is at Dundee on Saturday, November 21, followed by a finale back in Kirkcaldy on Saturday, January 9.