The height of summer in Scotland you might think? No, this was Stirling last Saturday for the first of the winter season’s East District Cross-Country League.

Team Borders, the composite athletics team from Borders clubs, was again in action in the age-group races with the U13 Boys team taking pride of place with a narrow team win over their 2.4km course.

Chirnside’s Josh Abbott had an excellent run for 3rd in 10.10 minutes with clubmate Jamie Kinghorn home in 7th in 10.32 and Craig Angus (Moorfoot/Leithenburn) only 6 seconds further back in a tight finish for 13th.

That gave the Borders boys a total of 23 points, 3 points to the good over Edinburgh.

Stretched by some notable absentees due to injury and holidays, there were no other team victories but there were still some other fine performances.

In what looks like it will be a highly competitive age-group, the U17 Men’s team finished 2nd - five points adrift of winners Central and four ahead of Edinburgh in their 6k race.

Gala’s Gavin Bryson and Thomas Otton ran well for 5th (20.40) and 9th (20.59), respectively, with the Moorfoots’ Kobe Stevens completing the points in 11th (21.14).

And both the U11 and U13 Girls teams took 3rd.

Special mention must be made of Gala’s Harriet Woodland-Broome who hit the deck in the mad-dash scramble at the start of the U11 Girls race over 1.6km.

Undeterred, she bounced straight back up to gradually work her way through the 60-strong field to finish in 5th (5.50). Moorfoots’ Madeline Collins (11th in 6.13) and Megan Hobbs (14th in 6.17) supplied the other team points.

The U13 Girls age-group looks like it will be another that will go down to the wire.

The Borders girls were only 5 points shy of the winning team Central with Edinburgh sandwiched in between.

Beth Hobbs from Moorfoots took an excellent individual 3rd place in 11 minutes exactly.

Clubmate Elena McGorum had a fine run for 6th in 11.25 with Gala’s Rhiannon Fagan completing the points in 17th (12.01).

Although the U11 Boys team finished out of the top three, there was an individual 3rd place from Gregor Collins from Gala who stormed home in 5.22.

Overall, it looks like Borders will have a bit of catching up to do to match last year’s total of three age-group titles but with some of Saturday’s missing runners anticipated to return for the next race in the League at Alloa on November 22 it is certainly not beyond them.

Other Team Borders results: U11G: 20th Isla Taylor 6.30; 29th Emily Carrick-Anderson 6.41.

U11B:28th Archie Fuller 6.10; 30th Daniel Ross 6.13; 33rd Evan McConnell 6.16; 39th Cailean Campbell 6.33 U13G: 29th Eilidh Mooney 12.31 U13B: 16th Ethan Elder 10.48; 21st Corran Carrick-Anderson 10.58; 24th Harry Fuller 11.12; 32nd Finlay Collins 11.35; 33rd Keiran Bryson 11.36; 36th Ben Reynolds 11.38; 57th Jack McDonald 13.02; 66th Innes Campbell 13.56.

U17/U15G: 20th Mairi Wallace 12.09; 22nd Anna McGorum 12.12; 25th Katie Rourke 12.22; 31st Ailsa Innes 13.00 (all TB runners U15).

U15B: 9th Callum Tharme 10.22; 17th Cori Campbell 10.49; 39th Joey Brown 13.24.

U17M: 25th Jason McIntosh 22.55.