MANDY QUALIFIES!

Encouraged by her friends at West Edinburgh Running Club, Mandy Scott chose to back her own exceptional ability and step onto the national stage by entering the trials to represent Scotland at the British and Irish Masters Cross Country International in Leeds this November.

Wearing the pink and navy vest of WERC, Mandy needed to finish in the top three in her age category to earn the right to swap it for the iconic saltire blue and represent her country.

Visibly shaking with nerves on the start line, she wasted no time once the race began, setting off with purpose, running strong and focused among some of the best veteran athletes in Scotland.

The course was brutal: three laps of wet, muddy, storm-battered grass. But with every lap, Mandy looked stronger. The gap between her and her competitors steadily grew, and each time she passed her supporters she even managed a half-smile!

As she crossed the finish line, no one dared say it just yet…

"Did Mandy just qualify for Scotland?"

She didn’t just qualify...she bloody won!

Mandy finished first in her category and will proudly represent Scotland on November 15th at the Masters International in Leeds.

From @everyone at West Edinburgh Running Club,

Massive congratulations, Mandy! We could not be more proud, and we hope you don't mind us sharing the credit...Just a tiny bit!