Gordon’s wheelchair wonderracer Samantha Kinghorn was top of the class in this year’s Sunday Mail Young Scot Awards.
The Earlston High School pupil won the sports category and was presented with her trophy at an event held in the Glasgow Crowne Plaza and Clyde Auditorium.
On Sunday the 17-year-old, who received her injury while helping to clear snow near her home when she was 14, also duplicated her success at last year’s Mini London Marathon by taking another second place on Sunday.
As in previous years, a multitude of Gala Harriers also took part in the international event.
Thomas Otton joined his fellow under-15 Scotland runners for the mini marathon, which covers the last few iconic miles of the main race, and did exceptionally well to complete the three miles in 16 minutes and 10 seconds.
The lucky seniors who had secured places for the full London Marathon through the ballot also did well, despite one of them being troubled by hamstring problems towards the end of the race. Had this not happened, who knows what Fergus Johnston’s time might have been as the elusive sub-three hours eluded him by just 3 minutes and 23 seconds.
Carol Fortune showed a clean pair of heels to finish in a superb 3.34.45, while Jason Grainger, a virgin marathoner, did very well to come in at 4.04.15.
Gala Harriers have been putting in the hard training miles over the winter in advance of the road running season and a clutch of results from marathons and half marathons this month clearly demonstrate that the work has not been in vain.
Contrasting conditions greeted runners at opposite ends of the country when the Lochaber Marathon and the Brighton Marathon were staged.
Margot Crosbie and Eileen Nicol opted to head south and were met with fair conditions, a slightly hilly course and, for Margot, a personal best of 3 hours, 35 minutes and 19 seconds. Eileen wasn’t far behind in 3.49.35.
In sharp contrast, the gale-force winds and driving rain at Lochaber meant that Gillian Duncan’s hoped-for personal best didn’t materialise, but she should be proud of her time of 3.38.28.
The same weather affected times in the Edinburgh Rock ’n’ Roll Half Marathon with Dave Nightingale (1 hour, 31 minutes and 36 seconds) leading a brave challenge and Fiona Shepherd (1.40.17) and Pauline Ballantyne (1.49.04) recording respectable times.