New Borders Cross-Country Series season set to reach round two in Peebles on Sunday

Setting off from the town’s Hay Lodge Park, the day’s 2.2km junior run starts at 11.15am, followed by the 6.5km senior version at noon.

Peebles High Street will be closed from noon until required for runners’ safety with a diversion in place.

This weekend’s meeting – following on from Lauder’s opening round on Sunday, November 3 – is one of two more to be held before the year is out.

The other follows the Sunday after, December 8, south of the border at Spittal in Northumberland and it’s hosted by Berwick-based Tweed Striders.

Five further rounds are on the way next year, all taking place on Sundays too – at Hawick on January 5, Paxton on January 12, Dunbar in East Lothian on January 26, Galashiels on February 16 and, concluding the current season, Duns on March 2.

Last year’s Peebles round, held at the end of November, was won by home-town runner Thomas Hilton in a time of 23.31, with Lauderdale Limpers’ Marc Wilkinson second in a field of 235 in 23:56 and Duncan Coombs, of Edinburgh’s Hunters Bog Trotters club, third in 24:33.

The day’s first female finisher was London’s Hollie Hindley, placing 33rd overall in 28:10.

Victory in that day’s junior race went to Edinburgh Athletic Club under-15 Dylan Daunt in 7:34, with his younger brother Josh second in a field of 11 in 8:03 and Gala Harriers under-13 Gregor Adamson third in 8:13.

Edinburgh’s Jessica Taylor was the first girl home, placing seventh all told in 8:37.

First blood this time round went to Edinburgh’s Tom Martyn with a first-placed finish at Lauder just short of a month ago for the second year on the trot.

His winning time of 25:17 in the day’s senior race was almost a minute faster than his 2023 finish in 26:15 and was over a minute and half speedier than runner-up Teviotdale Harrier Rory Anderson’s 26.54.

Alex Luetchford, a clubmate of Martyn’s at the capital’s Hunters Bog Trotters, was third in 27:17.

Lauder’s junior race was won by Team East Lothian Athletics Club under-13 Tom Ibbs in 10:18 and his clubmate and fellow under-13 Imogen Turner was fastest girl, and eighth all told, in 11:10.

Gala under-17 Sam Robertson was the first Borderer back, placing third in 10:40.

For further information, go to https://www.bordersxc.co.uk/