GB international back and chasing medals on home front

Highland athlete Andy Douglas returns to domestic action this weekend when he competes in the national cross-country relay championships at Cumbernauld.

The Great Britain international, who clinched top spot in the 2019 World Cup mountain running championships race series earlier in the month, has spent the past six months travelling thousands of miles across Europe and the United States to secure his world series title.

He won three of the seven races and finished no lower than sixth in the remaining four to out-score his rivals.

Douglas was also a key player in the Great Britain side which won the European mountainrunning team title for the first time earlier in the year.

He will pull on national colours again in November when he competes in the IAAF world championships in Argentina.

Despite his international successes, Douglas, who comes from Halkirk in Caithness, is equally keen to hit the medal trail in the relatively less glamorous setting of Cumbernauld on

Saturday. The Edinburghbased runner will be representing his first claim club, Inverclyde AC, and is confident his side will be competitive.

He said: “It will be a good short and sharp race for me.

“The Cumbernauld race is always tough but I enjoy competing there as there is always a good atmosphere.

“I feel we have a strong team and I am sure we can challenge for the medals.

“After this weekend I’ll have my final block of training before heading for Argentina.

“It’s difficult to predict how it might go in the world champs but if I can get into the shape I was in at the start of the World Cup series I’d hope to be looking at a top-eight position.”

Andy Douglas