Garrett Heath and David Elliott help lead Team USATF to team title at Great Stirling XCountry International Challenge

In Stirling, Scotland, Garrett Heath of the Brooks Beasts and Bellingham resident David Elliott (above/photo by John Nepolitan/Dyestat.com) helped Team USATF earn the victory in the Great Stirling XCountry International Challenge Saturday.

The international competition, featuring athletes from the U.S., Great Britain and other European countries, changed venues after being held in Edinburgh for several years.

In the first lap of the men’s 8k race, the pack stayed together. At the nine minute mark, 2016 US Olympian Leonard Korir appeared to put himself in position to run away with his third straight title.

In the latter part of the race, Korir and teammate Hillary Bor broke away from the pack and looked to have the first two spots locked up until Bor momentarily took a wrong turn, which put Heath back in contention with 600 to go.

Bor outran the field over the last 200 to take the win in 23:48, just ahead of Team Europe’s Napoleon Solomon, who was credited with the same time.

Korir was fourth in 23:49, with Heath fifth in 23:56, and Elliott sixth in 24:00, becoming the fourth and final scorer for the American squad.

Team USATF won the title with 16 points ahead of the European squad with 20 points, and Great Britain, which finished third with 44 points.

In the women’s 6k race, Pasco native Marisa Howard finished 14th (4th scorer) in a time of 21:01, as former University of San Francisco standout Elena Burkard of Team Europe took the win in 20:01.

The European all-stars won with 17 points, with Great Britain second at 19, and Team USATF was third with 50.

USATF’s recap of the race is available here, while results of the Great Stirling XCountry Challenge are available here.

NOTE:  USA Track & Field contributed to this report.