Calls were made today for an acclimatisation camp for African athletes on the way to next year’s IAAF World Cross Country Championships in Edinburgh.

They were instigated by members of the British team that competed in temperatures rising to 38° Celsius at last weekend’s World Cross Country Championships in the Kenyan resort of Mombasa.

The GB athletes – who acclimatised for the extreme heat by training diligently in Durban, South Africa, for three weeks – believe there should be a reciprocal arrangement to prepare the teams from hot climates such as Kenya, Ethiopia, Eritrea and Morocco for the local conditions to be savoured in Edinburgh.

So, recognising that African athletes will be the favourites in Edinburgh, they are looking for ‘Friends of Our Leading Sportsfolk’ to volunteer to run the camp for three weeks prior to next year’s championships.

One of the GB athletes who came up with the idea said: “Very few of the African athletes will have any knowledge of the British way of life. So we are looking for folk who will be prepared to provide them with fried breakfasts before they go for their early morning runs, take them to the burger bar of their choice for lunch, introduce them to the local delicacies such as battered Mars bars, and provide them with a fish and chip supper.”

For more details, phone 02774 536657 or email tfrecknall@hotmail.com today, and only today, to register your willingness to join the Friends Of Our Leading Sportsfolk.