Teamwork will be key when a superfit Bridge of Allan duo join forces with their beloved pet dogs for a top sporting event.

Mandy Williams and partner Robert Russell will team up with their two-year-old pet schnoodles Sam and Moscow to represent Team GB at the European Canicross Federation Championships in Italy.

Canicross is the sport of off-road running with a dog. The human participant is required to wear a waist belt which attaches to a padded dog harness using a bungee line.

The quartet have taken the sport by storm in recent months and they have high hopes ahead of their trip to Pellegrini in October, where they will take part in five kilometre and three kilometre events.

Mandy said she and Robert, who is a Scottish cross country champion, can’t wait to test themselves against some of the finest canicross athletes in Europe.

The 42-year-old said: “Canicross is a Scandanavian sport which has come over here and is becoming massive in the UK at the moment.

“We did really well at the Trophee Des Montagnes – which was nine days of racing in the Alps – and got some kudos for that. Moscow and I finished in 13th and Robert and Sam came 28th in a really tough men’s section.

“After that we got an email from the British team asking if we would compete in Italy and we can’t wait for it. We’re all very excited. It’s an amazing opportunity. We’ve arranged to pick up our uniforms out there.

“We’re just going to enjoy it and take in the whole experience. The fact that the dogs are really small too is cool so I think people respect that.”

A schnoodle is a cross between a schnauzer and a poodle – and Mandy admitted that they are not the type of dogs usually seen competing in Canicross events.

Mandy, who manages the Run4It shop in Bridge of Allan, added: “They are tiny little dogs and people are always very surprised when they see them. Usually people doing canicross have hounds who are strong enough to pull them along so we have to do a little bit more work.

“Moscow and Sam are really strong though and they get so excited to go running. At the moment we’re doing around 10 kilometres each day as training.We’re often up running through the Ochils.

“We have one rest day each week and the dogs get upset about it because they want to go out running. They first got into running when we did the Ruff Dugger event with them last year and they’ve loved it since.”

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