In photos: Teenager Thomas Hilton wins Melrose hill race

Hilton clocked a time of 36 minutes and 34 seconds to finish first, with Lauderdale Limpers’ Marc Wilkinson getting back in 36:55 for second place.

Edinburgh’s Angus Wright, last year’s winner in 37:24, had to settle for third place this time around in 38:14.Borderers accounted for four of the top six of the field of 105 for the 63rd running of the 7.2km race, with host club Gala Harriers’ Zico Field and Iain Stewart finishing fourth in 41:04 and sixth in 42:24 respectively, and Lauderdale’s Joseph Dawes also made the top ten, clocking 45:13 for ninth place.

Stewart, fifth last time in 41:48, was also fastest runner over the age of 40.

Three other Borderers made the top 20 on Saturday – Moorfoot’s Andrew Cox, 13th in 45:44, and Gala’s Gary Trewartha and Isla Paterson, 18th in 47:03 and 20th in 47:33 respectively.

Paterson, 15th in 2023 in 46:20, was also second female finisher under 20, almost 50 seconds behind Rachel Giffen, first in that bracket and 16th all told in 46:44, representing Glasgow’s Springburn Harriers.

Three further Borderers managed top-30 finishes – Teviotdale Harriers’ Keith Murray, 26th in 49.26; Gala’s Irvine Welsh, 29th in 50:02; and Lauderdale’s Naomi Dijkman, 30th in 50:11.

Dijkman was also fastest woman over 40, with unattached fellow Borderer Jayne Ramage placing third in that bracket, and 75th all together, in 1:05:40.

Last year’s third-place finisher in 40:59, Iain Gilmore, of Edinburgh’s Carnethy Hill Running Club, was fifth at the weekend in 41:37.

Catriona Macdonald, of Glasgow’s Bellahouston Road Runners, was first female finisher, and seventh overall, in 42:33.

Moorfoot’s Mike Goddard was first man over 70 in 1:01:10 and Lauderdale’s Frank Birch was first – and only – male runner over 80 in 1:43:29. Goddard was 67th overall and Birch second from last.

Saturday’s senior race was preceded by three junior ones from Eildon Mains – over 3km for under-13s, 4km for under-15s and 6.5km for under-17s.

Edinburgh’s Dan McGuire won the under-17 boys’ race in 31:59 and Archie Dalgliesh was first Borderer back in 34:17 for third place.

Gala’s Kirsty Rankine won the girls’ race in that age class in 38:44, getting back over four minutes ahead of runner-up Sky Simpson, of Inverness.

The under-15 boys’ race was won by Gala’s Seb Darlow in 20:39, with his clubmates Charlie Dalgliesh and Bryn McAree second and third respectively in 21:30 and 23:54.

Edinburgh’s Rachel Caves won the girls’ version in 21:37, with second and third places going to Gala’s Kacie Brown in 25:13 and Annabelle Stewart in 25:33.

Capital competitor Yuen Shan Lam won the under-13 boys’ race in 17:23 and Gala’s Holly Craig did likewise in the equivalent race for girls, clocking 21:16.