Hi Ho Silver x4 at East Champs

U15 800m medallists Michael and Charlotte (R) with Lasswade's Hannah Little (L) from Peebles (bronze)

Moorfoot Runners had a healthy share of middle distance medals at the East of Scotland Champs at Grangemouth on Friday and Saturday.

It was gone 9pm on a chilly Friday evening when, despite having had to run a heat three hours earlier, Ethan Elder cut 4 seconds off his PB in taking the silver medal in the U15 boys' 1500m in 4.31.76. Running smartly, Ethan moved into third at the bell, leading the pack in chasing down the front two. Having stretched and broken up the pack down the back straight, and looking safely in the bronze medal position off the bend, Ethan made a strong late charge and flashed across the line in a challenge for the silver, getting the verdict in a photo-finish by three hundredths of a second. 

11th in that final was Craig Angus who ran a massive PB of 4.55.76.

Also in the Moorfoot colours on the Friday evening were Esme Minto who ran a three second PB when 7th in the U13 girls' 1500m, and in the U15 girls equivalent Charlotte Morrison took two seconds off her best for 13th in 5.31.97 with Eilidh Mooney just behind in 16th in 5.35.50. Mairi Wallace was 8th in the U17 women's 1500m in 5.15.47. All four of these girls have another year in that age-group as does young David Cathcart who ran in the U13 boys' 200m coming 5th in his heat and just missing qualification for the final.

On the Saturday Kobe Stevens came very close to his first District championship title, just missing out in the U20 men’s 800m and taking silver with a new PB of 1.59.11. And it was double silver in the U15 800m. Charlotte Clare slashed four seconds off her personal best with a really strong run in the girls race, finishing in 2.22.05 and Michael Girdler, who is still only 12 years old, got down to 2.06.76 in the boys equivalent, a three second improvement on his PB.

Kobe - so close!

Patrick Cannon was one place off the medals in finishing 4th in the U13 boys' 800m with a big PB of 2.36.36 and David Cathcart was in action again taking 4th in the javelin under Dad Dan's tutelage with 16.25m and coming 4th in his 100m heat in 14.76s, just one place off qualifying for the final.

Ethan with his silver medal