Lauderdale Limpers’ Joseph Dawes is first Borderer to finish 2026’s Eildon Three-Hill Race

Carnethy Hill-Racing Club member Hughes was the only one of a field of 71 to complete the 7.2km course, starting and finishing in Melrose’s Gibson Park and featuring 510m of ascent, in less than 40 minutes.

Making it home the best part of two minutes later, Lauderdale Limpers’ Joseph Dawes, runner-up in 41:18, was the first Borderer to finish the senior afternoon race’s 65th edition.

Dawes was one of five representatives of the region to manage top-ten finishes and one of two to make the top five, the other being Moorfoot Runners’ Jack Philip, fifth in 42:39.

The region’s other top-ten finishers, all members of Gala Harriers, were Andrew Cox and Iain Stewart, both over-40s, and Greg Harradine and they respectively placed sixth in 43:08 and as second man aged 40 to 44, seventh in 44:06 and eighth in 45:01.

A further nine members of the Galashiels club managed top-30 placings – Daniel Lavin, 12th in 46:18; over-50 Gary Trewartha, 13th in 46:33; under-20 Sam Robertson, 14th in 48:28; Ava Richardson, first female finisher under 20 and 15th overall in 49:31; over-60 Ian Maxwell, first in his age bracket and 18th all together in 50:01; over-40 Paul Williams, 20th in 50:19; over-50 James Dennison, 24th in 52:13; under-20 Poppy Lunn, 26th in 53:17; and over-40 Colm McCarthy, 29th in 54:27, with over-40s Elizabeth Kerr and Amelia Hope-Jones not far off, finishing 32nd in 56:07 and 35th in 56:35.

Their over-70 clubmates David Nightingale and Shelagh King were first man and woman in their age brackets, placing 49th in 1:05:00 and 66th in 1:17:31.

Glasgow’s Catriona MacDonald was first female finisher, and ninth all told, in 45:16.

Saturday morning’s junior race over 3km for under-12s and under-14s, 4km for under-16s and 6.5km for under-18s, round five of seven counting for this year’s Scottish Athletics Junior Hill-Running League, was won by Strathearn Harriers under-14 Harris Turnbull in 15:54, with Lasswade Athletic Club under-14 Gregor Wright as runner-up in 16:18.

Peebles’ Cademuir Hill hosts round six on Sunday, August 16, and the season wraps up at Suidhe Hill, near Kincraig in the Highlands, on Saturday, September 19.