BENIGN conditions on as beautiful an autumnal day as you could possibly hope for saw some sparkling performances from the Moorfoot Runners who headed north across the moor to Gorebridge on Sunday for the annual Lasswade Cross-Country races.

It was a day of good team packing, demonstrating good strength in depth, rather than individual glory.

The Under 11 girls raced over 1600 metres and a very strong run from Emily Carrick-Anderson in 6th in 6.30 minutes led the team home with Madeline Collins and Esme Minto the next two home in 7th and 8th in 6.41 and 6.42. That gave the Moorfoot counting team a total of 21 points, enough to secure the team win.

Christina McGorum and Holly Hobbs provided good back up, finishing 12th and 18th.

The Under 11 boys were similarly strong handed with five runners and it was David Cathcart who was first of the team home in 9th in 6.16 with the fast finishing Patrick Collins just behind in 10th in 6.18.

With James Clare recorded as 14th in 6.21 it looked like the boys were in the mix for the team prize but a faller just over the line and the consequential stramash in the finish funnel had caused some confusion with the recording of the finishing order with James seemingly missing out on a few places. After an anxious wait while enquiries took place it was indeed the Moorfoot boys who came out first team with 33 points to top the podium.

There were good runs too from Angus Carlyle 15th in the same time as James and Frey MacIver 24th in 6.31.

It was twice the distance for the Under 13 girls whose 3.2km race is one of the longest on the calendar for them.

Elena McGorum ran well for 7th in 13.01 with Charlotte Morrison and Eilidh Mooney shoulder to shoulder most of the way for 15th and 16th. That gave the girls 38 points which secured team silver.

Megan Hobbs, still in this age-group next year, ran well for 22nd and Molly Willmott from the Selkirk branch kept on well for 31st.

The Under 13 Boys also took team silver, agonisingly only one point behind Pitreavie. Ethan Elder led the team home in 5th in 12.04 with Michael Girdler a strong finishing 6th in 12.08 and Corran Carrick-Anderson the third counter in 8th in 12.22.

The Under 15 Girls raced over the same 3.2km course and Mairi Wallace went toe to toe with the host club’s Sarah Tait over the first lap before Sarah opened up a gap. Mairi kept on strongly only to be outsprinted for 2nd in the final 50m finishing in 12.40.

Beth Hobbs was just ten seconds behind in 4th, this time winning the sprint for the line and Charlotte Clare had a strong second lap to come home clear 6th in 13.02. That meant a convincing team win for the Moorfoot girls.

Whilst that was the end of the medal exploits it is worth noting that that had Euan Hood, who finished 4th, opted to run cross-country for Moorfoot instead of his track and field club Lasswade, the U15 Boys also would have won with Craig Angus and Finlay Collins both having excellent runs for 6th and 7th, respectively, over their 4.8km course.