Sasha and Catriona win Senior Hill golds; Scottish medals in Sicily

Monday 2nd June 2025

Our Senior women’s medallists at Kirk Yetholm

The senior scottishathletics Hill Running Championships were held on Sunday 1 June at the Yetholm race, near Kirk Yetholm.

This race starts and finishes just outside of Kirk Yetholm, with the course taking in a circuit of hills around of Halterburn Valley.

The outward leg of the circuit contains most the ascent, running over tussocky grassy hills, before much faster running on return leg along parts of the Pennine Way.

Sasha Chepelin (Carnethy) and Catriona MacDonald (Bellahouston RR) won the men’s and women’s races respectively.

In the team event there was a very close battle between Carnethy and Shettleston for the men’s team, with Carnethy winning on countback in time. Carnethy also won the women’s team prize.

Thanks to Yetholm Race for hosting the event, Borders Mountain and Rescue, and all the marshals out on the hill.

Sasha Chepelin (right) and Angus Wright

Results

Men

1 Sasha Chepelin (Carnethy); 2 Angus Wright (EUHH); 3 Rory Abernethy

Women

1 Catriona MacDonald (Bellahouston RR); 2 Isla Hedley (Stirling Univ.); 3 Grace Pow (Carnethy)

M40

1 Andy Fallas (Carnethy); 2 Iain Pender (Shettleston); 3 Michael Reid (Carnethy)

W40

1 Helen Leigh (Inverness); 2 Morag McClelland (HBT); 3 Stephanie Provan (Deeside)

M50

1 Drew Sharkey (Carnethy); John Connaghan (Shettleston); 3 Eoin Coull (Highland Hill Runners)

W50

1 Vernonique Oldham (Cosmics); 2 Lorraine Coull (Highland Hill Runners)

M60

1 Colin Donnelly (Cambuslang); 2 Neil Gilmore (Carnethy); 3 Duncan Ball (Penicuik)

W60

1 Hilary Ritchie (Fife AC); 2 Jane Oliver (Deeside)

Teams

Men: 1 Carnethy; 2 Shettleston; Women: 1 Carnethy

With thanks to Helen Fallas

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Andy Douglas on the podium

This year’s European Off Road Masters Mountain Running Championships were held in Sicily at the weekend up Mount Etna.

There were three events: a classic up-and-down race on Friday, an uphill race 4.4km 1010m on Saturday; and a long trail race on Sunday 29km and 1950m. The races were all based on the slopes of Etna, where the trails were sandy and volcanic rocks.

Over the weekend the Scots won several individual medals listed below.

Vertical Uphill

M35 Gold: Andy Douglas (Invercylde)

M60 Silver: Chris Upson (Cambuslang)

W40 Silver: Jill Stephen (Deeside)

W50 Silver: Angela Mudge (Ochils)

Long Trail

M60 Bronze: Stewart Whitlie (Carnethy)

With thanks to Angela Mudge

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Tags: Catriona MacDonald, Sasha Chepelin, Scottish Senior Hill Champs