Young athletes warm up with Summer Challenge

Lochaber Athletic Club junior section extended the closing date for the Summer Challenge to allow more youngsters to participate in the virtual tworace series.

Young athletes tackled either the Nevis Range 5km Parkrun route for under 15-year-olds or the 3km shorter loop for under 11s. The two races were, first clockwise direction, and the second race was the same route but in the opposite direction.

The young athletes enjoyed the tree-lined route, the trail and the bridge river crossings.

As this was a participation event everyone who completed the challenge was eligible to be the summer challenge champion.

Names were drawn for champion and Angus Davies, the joint winner of the under-11 age group in the winter league, won. All athletes who completed the challenge received a goody bag.

The fastest time for the 3km route was Aaron Tresidder with 16mins 47s clockwise and 15m 58s anticlockwise. Fastest on the 5 km route was Fraser Anderson with 20m 30s, and 20m 35s on the reverse route.

Not many of the local seniors have bettered this time for the Parkrun route. The fastest girl was Maddison MacMillan with 17m 35s, and 17m 51s reverse for the 3km loop.

Training continues from Claggan Park from 6pm to 7 pm on Thursdays, with Thursday January 14 the first session back after the Christmas holidays.

In January the good news is that the junior winter league will go ahead if Highland remains in tier one Covid status.

This will be open to all under 15-year-olds. Rather than a mass start, each age group will start separately and with wide separation between runners.

Right, training at Claggan Park, with athletes Fraser Anderson and Heidi Smith; left, youngster celebrate the end of the Summer Challenge.