Halkirk athlete misses top 10 place at World Mountain Running Championships
ANDREW Douglas just missed out on a place in the top 10 at the World Mountain Running Championships in Bulgaria.
The Caithnessian finished 11th at the 12.5km high altitude course at Sapareva Banya on Sunday in an elite field of 141.
Douglas, the defending World Mountain Running Series champion, was the top-placed British runner after finishing in one hour five minutes 55.72 seconds, three minutes and 43 seconds behind first placed American Joseph Gray.
Israel Morales of Mexico claimed silver with a time of 1.03.51.62 with Ahmet Arslan of Turkey third in 1.04.48.02.
Thirty-year-old Douglas has had an impressive season, having won the British Mountain Running Championship in the Lake District in August and finishing fourth at the European Mountain Running Championships in Italy in July.
European champion Martin Dematteis from Italy finished eighth on Sunday in 1.05.25.05 with twin brother Bernard, who was second at the European championships, coming sixth in 1.05:06.47.
Great Britain finished fifth overall in the team championships with Christopher Smith finishing 13th, Graham Gristwood 31st, Christopher Farrell 34th, Tom Adams 51st and Max Nicholas 56th.
The US easily won the team event with three of their runners in the top seven finishers. Italy were second and Mexico third.
Born and brought up in Halkirk, Douglas lives in Edinburgh where he works in the financial sector. He remains a member of the North Highland Harriers and is trained by the club’s head coach Sophie Dunnett, who accompanied him to Bulgaria.
He had travelled to Italy and Norway in August to prepare for running at altitude in the world championships.
Douglas has done well in this year’s half marathon and the international cross country circuits, winning the Inverness half marathon and finishing 10th at the Antrim international cross country in Northern Ireland.