Podium places for Borderers Isla Paterson and Thomas Hilton at 2025 British Inter-Counties Mountain-Running Championships

Gala Harrier Paterson finished as third woman overall and first in her under-23 age category at that seven-mile fell-race at Pen-y-Ghent, near Horton-in-Ribblesdale, in 56:50, just over two minutes behind leading lady Nancy Scott’s time of 54:35, representing Aldershot, Farnham and District Athletic Club.

Moorfoot Runners’ Hilton was second in the same age bracket for men and 11th all told in 50:21, trailing first-placed fellow Scot Ross Gollan, of East Sutherland Athletics Club, by over two minutes, his winning time being 47:53.

Both were representing the east of Scotland at the Settle Harriers-organised event.

Paterson was the fastest of four Scots to make the top 20 of a female field of 89, making it home ahead of Edinburgh’s Grace Pow and Georgia Ledingham, respectively 16th in 1:01:59 and 19th in 1:02:46, and Elena Heger, of Glasgow’s Shettleston Harriers, 20th in 1:03:16.

Gollan and Hilton were among three Scots to make the top 20 of a field of 201 male runners, the other being Dan Dry, a clubmate of Heger’s, tenth in 50:20, with Ochil Hill Runners’ Rory Abernethy and Strathearn Harriers’ Harris Pagett not too far behind, placing 22nd in 51:01 and 23rd in 51:04.

Paterson’s junior clubmate Kirsty Rankine was also facing an uphill struggle on Saturday, representing Scotland at the World Mountain-Running Association’s international under-18 cup at Donovaly in Slovakia.

Running an uphill-only course of 5.3km, with 600m of climb, she finished 23rd and as second Scot home in 38:56, helping earn her team seventh place overall.

Rankine’s teammates Nancy Corrie, Hania Czebreszuk and Cerys Wright made it home 19th, 28th and 33rd in 38:35, 39:28 and 40:03.