Connor Maclean aims to add to his growing list of achievements when he competes in Scottish inter-district under-17 boys’ 6km race at Holyrood Park tomorrow.
The Stornoway Running Club member was second in the under-15 age group championships at the same venue last January and he picked up another silver medal in the national championships at Falkirk the following month.
He stepped up to the under-18 age group for the summer track season during which he pocketed a bronze medal when making his 1,500m steeplechase debut in the national champion-ships at Aberdeen Sports Village. He was also third in the Scottish under- 20s 3,000m champion- ship race at Grange- mouth.
Maclean’s progress has been maintained this winter with an impressive victory in the North of Scotland championships at Nairn in November.
That was followed by a victory in the North Lewis 10km road race in which he set a course record time of 34min 17sec.
Maclean opened 2014 with another fine performance, finishing second in the under-17 boys’ race at the Antrim international cross-country meeting last weekend.
His opposition in Edinburgh includes Aberdeen AAC’s Jordan Chapman, Callum Symmons and Steven Murray, who combined to win team gold for their club in the Scottish short course cross-country champion- ships at Bellahouston in November.
The Aberdeen trio will all compete for the East of Scotland team.
Stewart Millar (Aber- deen AAC) and James Geddes (Inverness Har- riers) should be competitive in the under-15 boys’ 4km, while Eoghann Gollan (East Sutherland) will lead the North’s challenge in the under-13s 3km.
Lauren Fraser (Inverness Harriers) and Peigi MacKellar (Stornoway Running Club) lead the North’s bid for honours in the under-17 girls’ 4km in which Jennifer Ricketts (Deeside Runners) and the Aberdeen AAC trio of Lise Theron, Ellen Stickle and Lucy McLeod will represent the East.
Constance Nankivell (East Sutherland), Rhiannon Kirk (Caithness) and Rachael Keith (Inverness Harriers) should be among the leading performers in the under-15s’ 4km, while Grace Whelan (Moray Road Runners) is expected to perform strongly in the under-13s’ 3km.