Fearghus thirdin cross country

Dozens of the best young runners from across South Lanarkshire faced a gruelling course as they met for the annual Primary School Cross Country finals.

All who attended took full advantage of Chatelherault Country Park’s hilly landscape in Hamilton including Cambuslang’s Fearghus McGregor, who finished third in the P7 boys race.

In the weeks running up to the event, hundreds of young athletes in primary six and seven took part in local heats in the hope of winning a place in the finals in March.

The route, which included the steep incline directly in front of the Hunting Lodge, was designed to test not only the runners speed but also their endurance and race strategy.

Shona Girdwood, sports development officer for South Lanarkshire Leisure and Culture, said: “Following the heats, 160 young athletes, the top ten in each age group from all around South Lanarkshire, qualified for the finals.

“We planned the course to take full advantage of the topography at Chatelherault so the runners would need to plan their race carefully.”