ELEVEN Inverclyde Athletic Club athletes made the trip to Edinburgh to take part in the BUPA International having been selected due to outstanding performances over the past few months.

At a chilly and windy Holyrood Park, Cameron Watson set the standard for his team-mates and the opposition to follow as he hit the front from the gun in the under-13 boys’ race, dictating the race until the wind took its toll on the petit frame of Cameron when his competitors reduced his lead.

However, Cameron is made of sterner stuff these days and pushed on to ensure another national title and a clear message to his opposition that he will be a force come the national cross country in February.

In the girls’ race Nuala and Cliona McCheyne and Niamh Docherty gained valuable experience in their first outing at this level of competition and will be happy with their performances.

Ryan Gray was next up and, despite giving two years in age and a considerable frame size, pushed the pace on matching the UK’s top age group athlete Ben Greenwood. Ryan took on the pace, breaking clear, only for Ben to match the break with Ryan winning silver. It was an excellent achievement in this age group. Matthew McKinnon continued to build on his foundation and will progress as a result of his run in the same race.

The next event saw the under-20 junior men’s race, which incorporated the junior international with athletes from America, Europe and UK taking on the homegrown talent of Jonny Glen, Josh Houston and Ross Forbes.

At the start the explosion from the line set the standard for the race as a fierce pace spread the field immediately, with the international athletes dominating the front.

However, what they didn’t bargain for was the dogged determination of Inverclyde’s Jonny, who was mixing it in the middle of the pack. With a vocal support throughout the course, Jonny dropped some of the internationalists and moved up a competitive level to not only win the national race but claim the scalp of some of the world’s best junior athletes.

Josh and Ross were valuable counters and all at IAC were proud to see the boys competing at this level.

In the senior women’s race Nynke Mulholland continued her return to race form will build on this foundation in the coming months. Racheal Bushfield racing for Scottish Universities was pleased to be competing after an injury layoff.

All details can be found inverclydeac.co.uk