Mairi endures the Czech heat - as does Mike P

LtoR - Anna, Mairi, Grace and the boys

Mairi mixing it with Turkish, German, Portuguese and English racers

A show of continental unity after!!

In a field of 55, a top half finish was the race target for Mairi Wallace who was competing for Scotland in the World Mountain Running Association's Under 18 Youth International Cup held in the mountain resort of Jaske Lazne in the Czech Republic on Saturday. The 80 degree heat wasn't in the Scots favour but Mairi was suited to the uphill-only nature of the course over 2.9km with 300m of ascent and she put in a sterling performance to finish 22nd. Her finishing time of 21.52 saw her home second of the three-strong Scotland team, an excellent result given that she is young for her year group, still a few months shy of 16, and is eligible again for this race next year.

The race was won by one of the home Czech athletes in 19.36. Scottish U17 XC champion Anna MacFadyen led the Scotland team home in 7th in 20.42 with Grace Whelan, who had beaten Mairi into second place at the U17 Scottish Hill Running Champs at Ben Lomond in May, 26th in 22.02. That gave Scotland 7th place in the team race won by Poland with England just ahead of the Scots in 5th.

With the athletes having endured the high temperatures during their race, it was then the Team Manager 's turn, one Mike Pearson, to feel the heat as the Scots' return flight Prague to Edinburgh early on Sunday morning was cancelled! That's what team managers are for and Mike duly got things sorted to get the team back into Edinburgh via Birmingham by late afternoon.

Well done Mairi and Mike!