INTERNATIONAL athletics is coming to the Borders later this year.

The tough slopes of Cademuir Hill above Peebles will play host to the Home Country International mountain races in September.

Teams from Scotland, England, Ireland, Northern Ireland and Wales will compete at Under 17 and Under 20s for the City of Edinburgh Trophy.

The courses for all races will follow the routes based on the Cademuir Rollercoaster races.

Event organiser Mike Pearson said “I organised this in 2008 when it was held in the Pentlands, but it’s a particular honour to be asked by Scottish Athletics to organise this event in Peebles and to have the opportunity to advertise the town to the mountain running community in the UK and Ireland.”

The Scotland selectors will be hoping they can add to the Scotland team’s home-soil advantage as they try to win back the trophy for the overall winning team from England.

The four age-group races also incorporate the British and Irish Junior Mountain Running Championships with the races open for non-international runners to enter on the day.

Gregor Nicholson, who is in charge of the race operations, told us: “We have tweaked the usual Rollercoaster race routes to fit the requirements of the Junior Home International guidelines set by UK Athletics.

"As a one-off we’ll also be using these slightly revised routes for this year’s Cademuir Rollercoaster races in August, which Scottish Athletics will use as the trial races for selection of the Scotland teams.”

Five local Moorfoot athletes have gained Scotland vests in this event since the junior section of the club was set up - Scout Adkin (four times 2008 to 2011), Alex Campbell (2009), Jacob Adkin (three times 2012 to 2014), Lucas Cheskin (2015) and Mairi Wallace (twice in 2015 & 2016).

Scout Adkin was victorious in the U20 Women’s race in Ireland in 2010.