With a number of Helensburgh club members racing, the Burgh runners took silver in the boys race and bronze in both the girls and senior ladies races. The young athletes race comprised three runners per team, with one runner from each of the under-13, under-15 and under-17 categories with some latitude in the final two legs where athletes may be moved up from the age-group below.

All the runners tackled the same mile and a half loop, made very soggy underfoot by a deluge just before racing got underway. With boys and girls running together it was difficult at times to keep track of positions but Michael Miller and Charlotte Caskie were always prominent amongst the 16 boys and 21 girls on the opening leg.

Michael eventually handed over for the boys in third place with his time of nine minutes 24 seconds while Charlotte went one better for the girls with her time of 10:07.

Twins Bruce and Mhairi Cromar set off on their respective under-15 legs eventually dropping one place each with their times of 9:36 and 10:09.

Fin Richie took over for the final leg and soon set about getting the Burgh boys back into medal contention. Clocking 9:07 he hauled back two places to claim an excellent second place.

Meanwhile, in the girls race, Melissa Robinson moved up from her under-15 age-group to tackle the closing leg and she maintained the bronze medal position with a time of 10:19.

Coming hot on the heels of the recent gold medal triumph at Hamilton Racecourse, the Helennsburgh ladies ‘A’ team of Debbie Savage (14 minutes 18 seconds), Natalie Stevenson (12:53) and Rebecca Parry (13:15) stormed round the 3.2k course to finish with bronze.

The medal-winning teams had excellent back-up from the rest of the squad. Morag Paterson (11:41) brought the girls “B” team home in seventh place after Jessica Noble (11:04) had finished sixth on the opening leg and Kara Bruce (10:36) had moved up to fifth.

Charlie Bridges was given the same time as Jessica on the opening leg for the “C” team before Alex Burns (13:11) and Megan Robertson (11:11) finished in 11th.

Antonia Burns completed the girls squad clocking 11:52 to finish 12th on the opening leg. For the boys, Bryn Davies finished ninth on the opening leg with a time of 10:28 handing over to another under-13, Finlay Gray, who clocked 11:09.

Also making light of the muddy conditions with some excellent running were the ladies ‘B’ team of Maria Dye (13:31), Helen Crooks (14:28) and Sarah Gibson (14:14), while the ‘C’ team of Fran Crumley (14:59), Jane Fellowes (15:23) and Lucy Paterson (17:42) were also superb.

The men’s ‘A’ team finished a very creditable sixth in their race thanks to fine performances from John Ritchie (11:47), Paul Thompson (11:13), Damien Theaker (12:11) and Chris Moses (11:04). The ‘B’ team of Colin Douglas (13:22), Gordon King (14:06), Stevie Bell (13:59) and Andrew Stafford (15:37)