BORDERS pupils enjoyed a golden weekend at the Scottish Schools Cross Country Championships near Edinburgh.

As well as two individual wins in the senior races for Earlston High's Callum Tharme and Katie Rourke, the Under 16s Peebles High girls won the team event.

And there was also an individual silver medal for Earlston's Ewan Christie in the Under 13s race.

More than 500 athletes from all over Scotland descended on Hopetoun House near Queensferry for the rearranged championships.

In the opening 3 kilometre races for Under 13 pupils, Ewan Christie, who competes for Gala Harriers, was on the shoulder of the leaders all the way.

And in the sprint for the line he was narrowly beaten, by just two seconds, into second by Edinburgh's Ross Dewer.

Fellow Earlston pupil Cameron Rankine finished strongly in 18th with Berwickshire High's Kyle Taylor crossing the line in 57th of the 84 finishers.

A total of 86 girls lined up for their Under 13s 3 kilometre race.

Although no local athletes were close to the podium there were some solid runs from Peebles High duo, Esme Minto in 30th and Holly Hobbs in 41st.

Earlston duo Anna Fairclough and Elspeth Panter were 51st and 56th, respectively, with Peebles High's Kate Harvie in 60th.

Galashiels Academy's Gregor Collins was just run out of a medal in the closing stages of the 4 kilometre race for second and third year pupils.

Gregor eventually crossed the line in 8th, with Earlston's Dylan Parry in 41st, Hawick High's Thomas MacAskill in 48th and Max Foggin of Earlston in 57th.

Only two local athletes competed in the equivalent girls race with Maisie Ballantyne of Hawick finishing in 49th and Jedburgh Grammar's Georgia Wood in 59th.

But the Borders girls were on top in the Under 16s 5km race with the Peebles High team of Beth Hobbs (12th), Charlotte Clare (20th), Elana McGorum (35th) and Charlotte Morrison (42nd) taking the team title ahead of Hutcheson's High and the High School of Glasgow.

Fellow Peebles High athletes Hannah Little and Eilidh Mooney were just behind in 44th and 48th, respectively.

Hawick High's Eilidh Jeffrey also ran well to finish in 22nd.

In the boys 5km race Hawick's Fraser Clyne produced a great run to finish 9th of the 69 starters with Earlston's Lewis Tharme just behind in 10th.

But the best was saved for last with Earlston High winning both of the senior races.

Katie Rourke was at the front throughout the 6km race and held on well to beat Williamswood's Charlotte Mckenna by two seconds at the line.

The boys race was even closer with Callum Tharme beating Port Glasgow's Ryan Gray in a photo finish.

Fellow Earlston pupil Yousuf Khursheed was just behind the leading pack in 14th.