Hill running: Junior Champs, Inter-Counties teams

Tuesday 10th May 2016

Fife AC athletes impressed in the Scottish Junior Hill Champs (photo via Twitter)

Scotland’s young hill runners gathered last weekend at Ben Lomond for the scottishathletics Junior Champs.

For 16 and 17-year-olds there was the opportunity to try and convince selectors they are worthy of an international vest for the forthcoming Youth Cup in the Czech Republic.

That selection issue spanned the separate U17 and U20 age-groups, while at U15 there were Scottish medals on offer.

In the U20 men’s race, there was a very welcome win for Fife AC’s Logan Rees following a couple of years out injured. Logan won it by 50 seconds from his brother Tristan, with the latter having the consolation of taking a silver medal and an automatic place for the International Youth Cup as the first eligible athlete (via date of birth). Finlay Todd of Ross County took third in that race.

Kilbarchan AAC’s Laura Stark won the Women’s U20 race to clinch her Czech place and gold from Aberdeen AAC’s Anisha Badial. Bronze went to Stark’s Kilbarchan club-mate Rona Tytler.

The U17 champions were Grace Whelan of Moray Road Runners and Joshua Boyle of Ronhill Cambuslang Harriers. At U15 there were gold medals for Beth Hobbs (Moorfoot) and Ian McWhinney (Fife AC).

In terms of the Scotland selection for the Youth Cup, the balance of the team will be picked on May 30.

Laura Stark in action at International Youth Cup last year – and now bound for Czech Republic

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This weekend sees Scottish athletes head south to the for the British Inter-Counties event, being staged over the classic Moel Eilio race in North Wales on Saturday 14 May.

Scottish hill runners will represent their district, with the first three athletes to count for a team. All athletes in these teams must have been born in 1996 or earlier.

Here are the selections:

East Men: Andy Fallas; Lucas Cheskin; Liam Braby

East Women: Scout Adkin; Jill Stephen; Louise Mercer

Central Men: Graeme Campbell; George Foster

West Men: Sam Alexander; Alastair Thurlbeck; Kenny Richmond; Mark Sutherland

With thanks to Malcolm Patterson

Tags: Inter-Counties, International Youth Cup, Laura Stark, Scottish Junior Hill Champs, Tristan Rees