The 21st Borders Cross-Country Series got off to a flying start on Sunday 15th November, with 68 runners taking part in the junior event and 166 in the senior event at Norham. The course was particularly muddy in places, despite the sunny weather, giving the runners a challenging race, along with four stream crossings in the senior event.
Bruce Lindsay of Dunbar was first East Lothian runner home in the junior race, finishing in 14th place in 12:57. Andrew Gough finished in 13:40, with Keiran Floyd on his heels, finishing one second behind. Club mate Joseph Kowbel finished not too far behind in 13:59, with HELP’s Robin Woods finishing in 14:16. Dunbar fielded 14 runners in total in the junior event including Greg Noble (14:31), Rory Somerville (15:04), Jordan Robbins (15:22), Cory Smith (15:48), Katherine Andrew (16:02), Katie Proudfoot (16:08), Claire Smith (17:08), Linda McCandlish (18:11), Anna Balfour (running for HELP – 19:20), Katrina Maguire (19:46) and Ruth Kowbel (20:36).
The senior race also attracted a number of East Lothian runners with Dunbar’s Andrew Crichton taking second place overall, just six seconds behind Keith Hood of Corstorphine who finished in 23:31. Stuart Hay came in with a time of 26:13, quickly followed by club mate Ian Rowland in 26:17. Ian Sills finished two places behind in 26:33, with Grant Noble a second behind. Eddie Balfour and Sandy Wallace of HELP finished in 26:49 and 28:46 respectively, with Dunbar’s Craig Goldie completing his first cross-country in a creditable time of 28:48. Also racing in the event were Brian Davidson and Lee Curtis (both Dunbar), Fred McCain (HELP), Neil Teather and Anne Hay (Dunbar), Saartje Drijver and Claire Simpson (HELP), Sheila Morrison, Sheila Kerr (both Dunbar) and Judith Donaldson (HELP).
All runners are looking forward to the next race in the series, taking place at Lauder on the 29th.