Young Scottish hill runners impress in Italy

Monday 27th June 2022

Photo by Chris Pagett

Results

Scotland’s young hill runners performed with real distinction at the WMRA International Youth Cup.

There were two individual top ten finishes in Saluzzo as all six of our young athletes adjusted to unfamiliar weather and course conditions.

Natasha Phillips had a superb run in the Female race to take fourth place – with the Dundee Hawkhill Harrier thus delivering one of the best ever performances by a Scot at this event.

Angus Wright was in contention for much of the Male race and duly came home in eighth place, an excellent run from the Team East Lothian athlete.

The Scotland team finished fifth in the Female race with Natasha backed up by Isla Hedley of Fife AC 14th and Esme Dougal of Giffnock North AC 25th.

In the male race, Scotland finished in seventh place with Angus backed up by Harris Pagett of Strathearn Harriers 20th and Jonathan Downey of Kilmarnock Harriers 30th.

These were good performances given the opposition featured top young hill runners from Italy, England, Poland, the United States, France, Spain and other countries.

Photo by Mike Pearson

The course was a race of two halves, a loop around the old town of Saluzzo with cobbled streets in narrow alleys, then steeply up with stepped sections to the Castello La Castiglia above the town. This led on to the castle grounds banked on a steep grassy slope.

The course wound steeply up and down several times before returning through a prison garden into the town again, returning to the finish which was close to the start.

Narrow streets meant that the start-line was not wide enough for an athlete from each team to be at the front so it was unfortunate but perhaps not too surprising that a few of the boys collided near the start, which Jonathan right behind was unable to avoid.

Results: Male teams

Results: Female teams

We congratulate our young Scottish athletes on their performances in conditions very different from what they are used to at home.

Thank you, also,  to our team managers, Mike Pearson and Jane Robertson, for assisting with the trip to Italy.

Photo by Mike Pearson

Tags: hill running, International Youth Cup, Italy

Expand Social Feeds