BORDERS athletes Chris O'Hare and Guy Learmonth have both qualified for the forthcoming European Indoor Championships - but under completely different circumstances.

Chris, who's from West Linton, stepped up in distance to claim the British 3,000 metres title in Birmingham yesterday.

The 2015 European indoor 1500 metre bronze medallist had already become the second fastest Scot ever over the indoor distance when clocking 7.47.78 last month in his adopted homeland of America.

And he showed why he was considered pre-race favourite on Sunday by kicking clear from Charlie Grice and Andrew Butchart in the closing stages of a competitive final.

The 28-year-old crossed the line in 7.52.86 to book his place for Glasgow 2019.

Grice was also inside the European qualifying time as he finished second in 7.54.33, as was third-placed Butchart.

Chris admitted his training partner Butchart's mid-race pace-setting helped him. He said: "He did the hard part and I had the easier of the two jobs.

“At three laps to go I could feel him wavering, I looked back and could see people closing in on us so I thought the best thing for us both was for me to take it and keep that gap so he didn’t need to worry about outkicking other people.”

Lauder's Adam Craig, who was competing at his first senior track championships, made most of the early running before fading in the closing laps to finish a creditable 12th.

While O'Hare's qualification for the Euros was straight-forward enough, it was a different story for Guy Learmonth.

The 26-year-old from Berwickshire, who had gone into the British Championships with the qualification time, lined up as favourite for the four laps final.

But at the bell he was cut off by Jamie Webb, losing several metres, and eventually crossed the finishing line third.

Webb was later disqualified with the win awarded to Cardiff’s fast-finishing Joseph Reid, who clocked 1.48.41, with Learmonth moved up to second in 1.48.51.

Selkirk's Henry Clarkson, who was also competing at his first major championships, missed out by just one centimetre, to qualify for the final three rounds of the triple jump.

The 20-year-old's distance of 15.16 metres saw him finish in ninth behind Newam's Michael Puplampu.

West Linton's Stacey Downie finished third in her heat of the 200 metres - missing out on a place in the final.