Lochaber cross country team finish strongly with historic team medal

Kai Tresidder was leading in the under-11 race but was overtaken on the run-in to take second place in 5.40mins on the 1.5k course, with Alistair Cant coming in fourth in 5.51. This was enough to give them first and third overall in the five-race league series.

Iona Rodgers ran her best race in the league to take fifth place. In the under-13 race Toby Smith was fifth over a testing 3k course in 13.02 mins, while Aaron Tresidder was eighth. Toby was fourth overall in the league - a good achievement in his first year in this age group. Lily Cant ran strongly to take second place in 14 mins, with Carys Rodgers running well, taking 11th. David Rodgers was ninth in the under-15 years race over 4.2k, and came a well placed fifth equal over the five races.

Louise Mclelland was seventh in the senior women race over 8.4k.

Meanwhile, the men’s competition was a very tight finish and Lochaber fielded the strongest team in many years, with nine men tackling the 8.4k course.

Four teams were in contention on the final league race, with Lochaber lying in fourth place. The team enjoyed the hillier terrain and pulled off a strong finish to take second league place by a small margin, the first time that Lochaber have medalled in the league for over 30 years.

Ryan Mackay faced a tough race knowing that a good run would be required to secure an individual medal and he ran well to take second place, giving him third place in the league, which matched his medal in the District championships, giving him a very good first year in cross country running.

The whole Lochaber team were well placed, with Denis Prikulis eighth, Liam Hutson ninth, Ruairdh Oliver-Jones 12th, Es Tresidder 17th, Barna Tot 22nd, James Tedham, who trying his first cross country in some time, in 33rd, and Max Kilgour 34th. Fourth M60 Jim Treasurer was 73rd.

Es Tresidder collected the silver medal in a highly competitive M40 field. This is a well fought runners-up team medal for the senior men, and also good performances by junior runners capped a highly successful and social cross country season for Lochaber.