Aberdeenshire athlete Robbie Simpson showed his preparations for the European mountain running championships this month are going well by scoring a fine win in the Gelandelauf am Bachtel cross-country race at Oberdurnten, Switzerland.
The Great Britain international, 22, who is currently based in Austria, completed the 12.1km route in a record time of 39min 56sec.
Competing in cool and wet conditions over a muddy three-lap course, Simpson finished well ahead of Swiss-based Eritreans MohamednurHamd (41:45) and Estefanus Hailemichael (41:53).
He will join up with the rest of the Great Britain squad for the European event to be held at Gap, France on July 12.
North-east teenagers Jennifer Ricketts (Deeside Runners) and Sasha Chepelin (Aberdeen AAC) performed well against some top-class opponents when representing Scotland in the World Mountain Running Association’s International Youth Cup at Arco di Trento, Italy.
Ricketts was second Scot, 27th overall, in the under-18 girls race held over a 3,980m course which included 220m of climbing. Her time was 22min 6sec while Elsa Racasan (France) won in 19:43.
France won the team competition, with Scotland finishing 11th of 17 countries taking part.
Chepelin recorded 24:45 for the under-18 boys’ 4,810m race which included 280m of climbing. Davide Magnini led Italy to the team prize when taking individual gold in 21:29. Scotland placed 15th of 18 countries.