Super second for Kirsty as Scots tackle hills and heat in Italy

Sunday 6th September 2026

From Angela Mudge in Italy

Scotland’s Kirsty Skye Dickson had a superb run in Italy to take second place in the Vertical Nasego race at the Seven Nations Event on Saturday.

Conditions were really tough, in 30-degree heat, and the Italian hosts even added extra drink and mist stations to cool the runners.

The Vertical race starts in Casto and climbs 1000m over 4.3k with the gradient steeper up in the latter stages.

Holly Page was second Scot home in that Women’s race in 28th place with Grace Pow racing well in her debut European race to take 33rd.

The Trofeo Nasego competition is also a WMRA World Cup event so the field was loaded.

In the men’s race Jacob Adkin led the Scots home in 13th, with Thomas Hilton in 20th and Finlay Todd in 30th.

The combined positions of the first two male and female finishers are taken for the Seven Nations competition, leaving Scotland in third place overnight.

On Sunday the weather was no kinder and the organiser added an extra four water stations over the 21km and 1330m route.

Again the level of competition was high and Kirsty led the Scots home to finish in eighth after a brilliant climb. Grace Pow in 19^th and Catriona MacDonald in 26^th completes the team.

A late withdrawal meant the men’s team were down to three. Thomas Hilton paced the race well to finish in 17th, with Finlay Todd in 28^th and Andy Douglas, putting on a brave race after suffering in the heat, to finish in 32nd

The first three finishing positions were combined for day two and Scotland slipped a place to finish fourth overall (only three points behind England). The Italian team dominated the event, easily winning with France in second.

The two days of racing were really tough this year in the hot conditions and the team performed well to survive the extreme weather.