A TOP-HALF finish was the race target for 15-year-old Borders athlete Mairi Wallace who was competing for Scotland in the World Mountain Running Association's Under 18 Youth International Cup.
Strong teams from across the continent assembled at the mountain resort of Jaske Lazne in the Czech Republic on Saturday.
The 80 degree heat wasn't in the Scots' favour but Mairi, who lives in Blyth Bridge, was suited to the uphill-only nature of the course over 2.9km with 300 metres of ascent and she put in a sterling performance to finish 22nd in the 55-strong field.
Her finishing time of 21.52 saw her home second of the three-strong Scotland team - an excellent result given that she was one of the youngest athletes in the race.
The race was won by one of the home Czech athletes in 19.36.
Scottish Under 17 cross-country champion Anna MacFadyen (Forres) led the Scotland team home in 7th in 20.42 with Grace Whelan (Moray), who had beaten Mairi into second place at the Scottish Hill Running Championships at Ben Lomond in May, finishing 26th in 22.02.
Scotland finished in 7th place in the team race won by Poland, with England just ahead of the Scots in 5th.
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