Two medals for Gala Harriers at first cross-country relays of 2024

​The Galashiels club were represented in West Lothian by 37 junior and seniors and Teviotdale Harriers also fielded two teams.

The format for the adults is teams of 3 or 4 runners complete a 4km circuit as a relay team.

Gala’s ladies’ masters team of Pamela Baillie, Julia Johnstone and Gina Allen took a silver medal, completing a 4km circuit in a cumulative time of 52:55, with victory going to Edinburgh’s Hunters Bog Trotters in 49:08.

A second Gala ladies’ masters team of Eileen Maxwell, Charlotte Hendry and Gillian Archibald completed the course in 1:06:31.

Gala’s men’s masters team of Darrell Hastie, Iain Stewart, Leahn Parry and Gary Trewartha won a bronze medal, clocking 57:03 to finish behind only second-placed Metro Aberdeen and winners Corstorphine Amateur Atletics Club.

The club’s senior team of Robbie Welsh, Irvine Welsh, Marcus D’Agrosa and Francis McElroy finished 21st overall out of a field of 84 teams in 56:34.

A mixed Gala team of James Dennison, Grame Murdoch, Simon Adamson and Bob Noble completed the course in 1:05:28 to place 50th.

Another Gala men’s masters team of Sinclair Hill, Magnus Inglis, Bob Johnson and Neil Christie were 13th in their class.

Darrell Hastie clocked the fastest lap among Gala’s male contingent, men coming in 24th overall in 12:45, with Robbie Welsh not far behind on 13:11.

Teviotdale’s men’s team of Andrew Gibson, Alan Inglis, Greg Walker and Rory Anderson got back in a time of 1:01:06, Anderson’s 13:26 being their speediest time.

Juniors contested their relays in teams of three, with under-13s, under-15s and under-17s running over the same 2,500-metre course

Molly Trewartha and Holly Craig led Gala’s girls out, placing sixth and ninth.

Molly’s team of Annabelle Stewart and Ava Richardson were fifth overall out of 44 teams in 30:36.

Holly’s team of Kacie Brown and Kirsty Rankine were tenth in 31:29.

A Teviotdale team of Freya Walker, Alanna Hart and Jessica Smith clocked 35:46 for 36th place, with Jessica registering their fastest time, 11:08.

Arnon MacLeod, Magnus Church and Riley McDade represented Gala at under-13 level, all of them running cross-country for the first time, with Arnon finishing eighth in 9:29.

Seb Darlow, with 9:01, and Archie Dalgliesh, clocking 8:18, then brought their team up to fifth overall out of 37 with 26:48.

Gala’s Magnus, Charlie Dalgliesh and Sam Robertson came in 22nd in 28:59 and hot on their heels were a thrd Gala team of Riley McDade, Gregor Adamson and Oliver Hastie in 23rd in 29:01.

Fastest laps went to under-17s Archie, seventhh overall in 8:18, and Ava, eighth in 9:29.

Next on the cross-country calendar are 2024’s national relays at Cumbernauld on Saturday, October 26.