PH Racing Club athlete Ed Norton struck gold for his country by helping Scotland to success at the British and Irish Masters cross-country international.

The V70 competitor was one of four club members – the others being Roger Clark, Anne Hartmann and Andy Davis – who travelled to Dublin recently for the event, which brings together teams from Scotland, England, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, to race in male and female individual age categories, counting towards team positions.

Norton, who earlier this year won Scottish Masters Championship titles over 800 and 1500 metres in his age category, as well as in the Scottish 10K Championships, ran in the men's over-65 race and he was one of a quartet of Scots that filled the top four places in the M70 age group.

Although he was the fourth of those in the individual standings, Norton's performance helped Scotland to a team gold medal, which bettered the bronze that he collected at the same competition in Swansea four years previously.

Clark, who earlier in the year won 4x400m relay gold at the World Masters Athletics Championships, in which he claimed an individual 400m bronze, adding to the British M50 title he claimed over that distance in the summer, also medalled in Dublin, picking up a bronze.

With his V50 age group also competing with M55 and M60 runners, his time of 29 minutes and 25 seconds was enough to secure third place, while his wife Hartmann, making her debut in a Scotland vest at the event, contributed to the W40 team winning bronze, running a time of 23:34.

Davis, another debutant, enjoyed a fine run of 27:50 to finish sixth in the M45 category, but Scotland, who finished third overall in both the men's and women's competitions, missed out on a podium place in that age category.

Elsewhere, fellow Scotland internationalist John Hammond took on the Dava Way 50K, an ultra race that takes in a route from Grantown-on-Spey to Forres, and he placed fourth overall in a time of 3:32.04.

Also running was his father, Malcolm, who retained his M70 title with a time of 5:23.05, while Craig Paterson, despite picking up an injury midway through the race, and Susan Allan both crossed the finish line in times of 4:36.59 and 6:11.01 respectively.

Meanwhile, PH were represented by 30 athletes at the Scottish National Short Course XC (cross-country) Championships, which returned to Dunnikier Country Park in Kirkcaldy for the first time since 2019.

Held over a 4K distance, Julie Menzies led the way in the women's senior race, running a time of 15:02 to finish seventh F40 runner.

Anne Hartmann was next home for the club, in a time of 15:29, followed by Louise Lessels, Clare Graham and Susan Allan.

In the men's race, Andy Davis was PH's leading performer, clocking 13:10, finishing three seconds ahead of Ben Hukins, while Roger Clark (13:29) secured an M50 bronze medal, with Mark Ryan running the same time.

M70 pair Ed Norton and Malcolm Hammond, in 16:46 and 17:33 respectively, won silver and bronze medals, while other runners completing the race included Phil Waring (14:08), Aaron Bennet (14:13), Robert Sellar (14:22), Mark McLean (15:18), John Crookston (15:32), Iain Wallace (15:42) and Colin Somerville and Craig Paterson.

In other events, Julie Menzies was the first female, and fourth overall, at Fife AC's Last Duel Trail Race in Cardenden, finishing in 42:27, ahead of PH clubmate, Clare Graham, while Wright Beveridge (1:27.58) was the second M50 runner, and fifth overall, to finish the Path of Condie Half Marathon.

Scott Love was next home for the club, finishing third in the M40 category (1:31.16); Malcolm Hammond was second in the M70 age group in 1:45.08; while Martin McNellis (1:34.32), Marc Preece (1:37.54), and Robert Milton also ran well.

Gillian Wallace, PH's sole representative, finished seventh female, and 33rd overall, at the Templeton 10-mile race in Dundee, clocking a time of 1:13.39.