Robbie Simpson (Deeside Runners) hopes to get off to a good start in the opening Scottish Hill Runners championship series race at Chapelgill near Broughton today.
The 18-year-old Great Britain junior international showed good endurance form last weekend when outsprinting Paul Raistrick (Highland Hill Runners) to win the Lochaber multi-terrain 13.6 mile race at Fort William.
He faces a much shorter and sharper test in Peebles-shire as the Chapelgill course climbs and descends by 1,400ft over a 1.5-mile route.
Simpson said: “It's a short race, but it could be tough. I'm not sure who I'll be up against but there will be some decent runners there because it is a championship race."
Former Great Britain international Phil Mowbray will celebrate his 37th birthday by competing alongside his wife, Megan, in today’s Newtonmore 10-mile road race.
The Hunters Bog Trotters club member was Scottish 1,500 metres champion in 1995 and 5,000m champion in 1996. He also represented Great Britain in the world cross-country championships.
Mowbray was successful on his last visit to the north, winning the Tain hill race in December while Megan made it a family double when she collected the women's prize.
Megan also won the Ben Rinnes 14-mile hill race at Dufftown last summer.
Metro Aberdeen's Ali Matthews is another leading contender for the women's prize. The Lairig Ghru race champion was third last year. Entries will be taken at the village hall prior to the 11am start.
Inverness half marathon champion Melissa Whyte (Inverness Harriers) is the women's title-holder in the Craig Dunain hill race today (2pm). Entries will be taken on the day at Bught Park, Inverness.
Oldmeldrum's Chris Winward is the defending champion in tomorrow's Garioch 10k at Inverurie.
A field of more than 500 runners is expected to take part in the fifth edition of the race which Winward won last year in 35min 21sec.
Aberdeen's Carolyn McLeod is the women's title-holder but last year's runner-up, Pamela Tosh (Aberdeen AAC) is more than capable of taking top spot this time.