BORDERS athletes enjoyed a medal haul at the Great Edinburgh cross country on Saturday at Holyrood Park

In the Celtic Nations women's Under 23 race, Louise Mercer from Hawick helped Scotland to silver behind Ireland.

The Edinburgh University student finished a creditable sixth.

There was a bronze medal for Scotland men's Under 20s with Lauder's Gavin Bryson running strongly for an individual seventh place.

In the Inter District Championships, Hawick policewoman Dianne Lauder helped Scotland East to team silver behind Scottish Students.

The Gala Harrier finished 11th of the 20-strong field.

The early morning freezing fog had lifted by the time racing got underway for the age-group races, leaving chilly but thankfully calm conditions.

Ethan Elder from Peebles earned a tremendous individual bronze medal in the Inter District Under 13s race.

Elder, along with Chirnside's Oscar Onely who finished eighth and Gala's Gregor Collins in 18th, helped Scotland East to a team gold.

Elder's coach at the Moorfoot club, Gregor Nicholson, told us: "Ethan's time was 10.59 and his podium place made up for a slightly disappointing East Championships when he was not on top form.

"With third place bagged with 600 metres to go, Ethan bravely set his sights on the two East boys up ahead, keeping up a relentless tempo which saw the 40 metre gap to the leaders reducing stride by stride - but the line came just too soon."

There was just the one Borders runner in the Under 13 Girls East team with Lasswade’s Hannah Little from Peebles finishing 28th.

In the Under 15s, James Logan in 15th and Yousuf Khursheed in 25th from Gala Harriers, along with Euan Hood of Peebles in 18th, helped Scotland East to team silver.

It was also a team silver for the Under 15 Girls with Mairi Wallace of the Moorfoot club finishing well for 10th place. Sussannah Godfrey-Faussett of Gala Harriers crossed the line in 14th, Charlotte Clare from the Moorfoots was 18th, and her team-mate Beth Hobbs finished in 23rd.

Ailsa Innes from West Linton was up against it in the U17 4km race which was combined with the U20 and U17 International races.

In the distinct Inter-District results she finished 23rd of 33 in 17.35 minutes.

Athletics development officer Neil Renton said: "There were many excellent runs from Borders athletes.

"Ethan ran exceptionally well to win an individual bronze medal and he was unlucky not to finish even higher with his terrific kick at the end."