Dunfermline PH Racing Club's Mary Western wins European medal

Mary and Mark Western, who are members of Dunfermline-based PH Racing Club, recently travelled to Toruń, in Poland, to take part in the European Masters Athletics Championships Indoor from March 17-23.

They competed across five events combined, setting new PH club records in each, whilst Mary finished on the podium in the F60 800 metres.

In a straight final, she produced a superb run of two minutes and 42.09 seconds to place third and claim a bronze medal, finishing behind Sweden's Karin Wåhlstedt (2.37.25), who won silver, and fellow Great Britain and Northern Ireland representative, Clare Elms, who won gold in a time of 2.34.70.

Mary Western (third from left) with fellow GB competitors Christine Anthony, Sharyn Ramage and Claire Elms. (Image: Allan Ramage.)

Mary's success came after she had also competed in the 400m where, after finishing third in her heat in a time of 73.78, she narrowly missed out on the medals in the final.

A run of 71.70 seconds saw her finish fourth, narrowly behind the Netherlands' Mariska Anderegg, who clocked a time of 71.57 to take third place.

The medal in Toruń came after Mary also reached the podium at last month's Lindsays Scottish National Masters Cross Country Championships, in which she won silver in her age category.

Mark, meanwhile, began his events in the M55 age category with the 3,000m, which consisted of two heats but no final.

Finding himself in the slower first heat - with all the medal winners coming from the second - he ran a good time of 11.25.42 to place 20th overall.

Mark Western also enjoyed success at the event. (Image: Allan Ramage.)

He then went on to run in both the 800m and 1500m, finishing in 27th and 28th places overall respectively, following strong runs of 2.36.84 and 5.17.91.

Elsewhere, PH's Ed Norton added further to his medal collection by winning V70 bronze at the Scottish Half Marathon Championships, which were incorporated into the Inverness Half Marathon, by posting his second fastest time ever over the distance of 1:35.08.

There was a sixth female, and first V50, placing for Julie Menzies at the inaugural Forth Valley Trail 10k at Falkirk's Callendar Park, whilst Graeme Doig collected his first-ever race win at the 20 Along the Forth event.

Andrew Wright and Ian Stewart each finished second in their age categories at the Wee County Harriers' Gartmorn 6 trail race, with Andrew also finishing fourth overall, whilst Andy Davis, in 3:58.28, was seventh overall, and fourth V40, at the John Muir 50k Ultra.

Martin Butcher was in action at the Sri Chinmoy 100k in Perth, which incorporated the British and Scottish Championships over the distance, and finished 37th overall, and sixth in the V40 age group, in 8:55.41, whilst Willie Rennie was 16th overall (2:16.28) in the tough 11-mile Pendulum Fell Race in Northumberland, which included 3,800 feet of climbing.