Graeme Murdoch, Fiona Dalgleish and Jennifer Forbes all pulled on the vest of Scotland on Saturday at the British and Irish Masters Cross Country International near Nottingham.

And two of them returned with a medal.

The Gala Harriers masters teams have almost got used to scooping national titles over the last couple of years but Saturday presented a huge step up in challenge to compete against England, Wales, Northern Ireland, and Ireland.

Against the scenic backdrop of Wollaton Hall and Deer Park in Nottingham, the first race of the day featured Fiona Dalgleish running in the F35 category and Jenni Forbes running in the F40 category.

In a race dominated by England from start to finish, Fiona ran a strong race to finish second counter for the Scottish team, with the team finishing just outside the medals.

Jenni also ran strongly given recent injury problems to boost the F40 team, and her efforts earned her a team bronze medal.

One of the most competitive races of the day was always going to be the male 35-49 races.

With the course having cut up in places, and with England and Republic of Ireland always looking like the clear favourites for the gold and silver medals, Graeme Murdoch attacked the race from the start.

The move paid off as he was able to run possibly his best ever cross country race to finish in an excellent 13th position (third Scot), giving Scotland another team bronze medal.

The achievement of national selection of three athletes from a fairly small club like Gala Harriers to this event is testament not only to the commitment of the athletes but also to how the club has grown in the last few years.

Club President Gerry Moss said: “The club are hugely proud that three of our masters athletes have been selected for Scotland and have had the chance to compete at the highest level.

“They work hard in training and these selections are totally merited for their ongoing performances throughout the year.

“Furthermore to have contributed to medal winning teams is a fantastic achievement.”