IT was a day of medals for the Borders athletes at the World Mountain Running Championships and Junior Home International in Wales at the weekend.

Five Borders athletes were in action in beautiful Betws-y-Coed in North Wales on Saturday.

Mairi Wallace from Peebles started the day with a team gold in the Under 17s.

Mairi was fifth of the Under 17 girls through the 2k mark in 13.44 minutes, not too far behind Scotland team-mate Laura Stark from Kilbarchan, with Emily Nicholson from Pitreavie leading the field through in 13.19.

Come the finish Laura had zoomed down the fast fire road descent to cross the line first in 21.39 with Emily a close second in 21.46. Mairi had a brilliant run, finishing as close as she ever has to her year older team-mates in 5th in 22.38.

With the English girls counters 3rd, 4th and 8th it was a convincing team gold for Scotland.

The Under 20 men’s race was over two laps for 8.9km/500m. Three of the Scotland team of four were Borderers.

Gala Harrier Thomas Otton finished strongly for 6th in 39.03 with former clubmate Gavin Bryson (EAC) 10th in 39.53

It was always going to be a tough challenge for Lucas Cheskin (Moorfoot) who had done really well to gain his selection, and he finished fourth Scot in 19th place in 43.00.

England dominated the team race but Mairi’s cousin Ross Gollan (East Sutherland) had a great run for individual silver in 37.51 so it was team silver for the Scots.

With the appetisers done and dusted it was on to the main course, the World Championships with Moorfoot’s Jacob Adkin featuring for GB in the U20 men’s race over the same 8.9km two lap course.

At the 2k mark Jacob sat 17th in the middle of a bunch of nine or so runners along with GB team-mate John Spill, but hindered by a stitch he dropped a few places on the first descent to sit 22nd through half-way in 18.47.

At that stage Max Nichols had moved up to 3rd for GB. Jacob then rocketed through the field on the second ascent picking up no fewer than ten places to sit a close 12th, and improving again on the final descent to cross the line in a fantastic 8th place in a time of 36.42.

With Nichols fading but holding on for 6th just ahead of Jacob in 36.23 and Spill 16th in 37.36 it was team bronze for GB with a total of 30 points, only two behind the USA but crucially two ahead of Italy.

Runaway winners were Turkey who placed 1st, 3rd and 5th with individual winner Ferhat Bozkurt home in an amazingly fast 33.56 almost two minutes clear of the runner-up from the USA.

Well done too to ex-Moorfoot Sarah MacCormack who finished strongly for 9th for Ireland in the senior women's World Championship race, run over the same course as the U20 men, in 40.01.