Ross County Athletics Club trio to be involved with Scotland squad for hill running International Youth Cup in Slovakia
Two Ross County Athletics Club hill runners will be heading to Slovakia next month to represent Scotland in the International Youth Cup.
Two Scottish squads, a men’s and a women’s, will travel to Donovaly – around two hours north-east of Bratislava – to race over the 5.8km course which features a 513m climb on Saturday, June 14.
With under-18s eligible to take part, two Ross County youngsters have been named in the men’s squad – with a third included as a reserve.
Invergordon’s Lachlan Thomas and Latheronwheel’s Billy Sutherland both qualified for the squad through their performances in the Broughton Hill Race last weekend.
Thomas finished third overall and second in the under-18 category, securing his place in the Scotland team.
Sutherland was close behind, finishing fourth overall and third in the under-18 category.
Both athletes also finished in the top three at this year’s Inverness 5k in March, with Thomas finishing second after winning back-to-back titles in the previous two years and Sutherland ending up on the podium for the first time.
The duo will compete in Slovakia alongside Ben Hodson from Stewartry Athletics Club and Joel Gillan from Central Athletics Club.
Should anyone be forced to pull out of the squad, though, an opportunity could arise for Lachlan’s twin brother Kaeden, who has been named as the squad’s reserve athlete.
Kaeden finished sixth at Broughton, and fifth in the under-18s section, meaning he will be the first port of call should anyone have to withdraw.
All three athletes are helped by the Duncraig Educational Trust, and are trained by coaches from Ross County Athletics Club as well as Sophie Dunnet from P.E.T Training in Thurso.
