Slovenia: Scots with GB prepare for European Off Road Champs
Scaling heights: Naomi and Scout lead Scots at trials
From Angela Mudge
Scottish athletes are in Slovenia with the Novuna GB and NI team for the European Off-Road Running Championships from 6-8 June.
No fewer than 14 Scots are represented across the disciplines and in a 39-strong team that’s a remarkable representation!
So there is an exciting weekend ahead for the athletes individually, but also collectively for Scottish hill and trail running.
At this stage we say Good Luck to the athletes and their families, coaches and clubs and indeed all volunteers contributing to this upsurge in interest and performance.
The Scottish effect is even wider than those 14 names, with three more of those selected – Matt Knowles, Tom Spencer and Nancy Scott – are currently based in Scotland and well known to our hill and cross country communities.
Team announcement on UK Athletics website
Scottish clubs are very well represented at U20 Men’s level after fine performances at the trials
The Senior Women’s Up-and-Down team will be hoping to defend the European team gold won at the last Championships in Annecy in 2024, with Scout Adkin and Naomi Lang returning from that victorious squad.
The Women’s Uphill team will aim to improve on their team bronze from 2023, where Adkin secured individual silver.
The Senior Men’s Uphill team features Jacob Adkin, the 2024 European Uphill silver medallist, providing valuable championship experience.
Friday: The uphill only course has previously been used in the 2010 world championships and the 2017 European championships.
The senior race starts from the foot of the hill along forest roads and after around 4km goes onto single track and the gradient ramps up. It finishes on the open plains at Velika Planina, a historic shepherd’s pasture. The seniors race 8.9km and climb 1280m. The U20’s race over the same route but start around the 5km mark, climbing 425m in 3.8km.
Saturday: The trail race is 52km with 2450m of climb and descent. The races starts in the historic centre of Kamnik, following the valley floor to the uphill race and climbs to Velika Planina, loops round the pasture then head south back into Kamnik over two smaller climbs. A good mixture of fast running on forest roads, single track in the forest and some open paths.
Sunday: The up and down race starts in Kamnik town centre, a flat 1km loop before hitting the steep climb to an old fort then following fast single track through the forest to the high point and descending back down to the town centre.
The U20s race a single lap, the seniors run the U20 lap then race a bigger lap behind the fort and summiting on Tolsta Gora before a very fast 5km down to the finish. The U20 course is 57km with 325m ascent/descent. The senior 13.1km with 825m ascent/descent
Scout Adkin and Naomi Lang were medal winners in 2024 in this European event
Scottish athletes with the Novuna GB and NI trail team for the European Off-Road Running Championships:
Trail
Women
Kirsty Oldham (Dundee Hawkhill Harriers)
Men
Alexander Chepelin (Carnethy Hill RC, Sophie Dunnett)
Uphill
Women
Scout Adkin (Ambleside AC, Angela Mudge); Kirsty Dickson (Carnethy Hill RC)
Men
Jacob Adkin (Moorfoot Runners, Robbie Simpson); *Matthew Knowles (Carnethy Hill RC, Sophie Dunnett); *Tom Spencer (Dark Peak Fell Runners)
U20 Women
Nancy Corrie (Harmeny AC, Craig Stewart); Hania Czebreszuk (Aberdeen AAC, Lewis Walker/ Nichola Crawford);
U20 Men
Joel Gillan (Central AC); Kieran Hardie (Harmeny Athletics Club, Andy Ross); Rowan Taylor (Lasswade AC, Kirk and Linda Smith); Lachlan Thomas (Ross County Athletics Club, Sophie Dunnett)
Up-and-Down
Women
Scout Adkin (Ambleside AC, Angela Mudge); Naomi Lang (Carnethy Hill RC/ Glasgow Uni, Lewis Walker); *Nancy Scott (Edinburgh AC)
Men
Thomas Hilton (Edinburgh University Hares and Hounds); Matt Knowles (Carnethy Hill RC, Sophie Dunnett)
U20 Women
Nancy Corrie (Harmeny AC, Craig Stewart)
U20 Men
Lachlan Thomas (Ross County Athletics Club, Sophie Dunnett); Ben Hodson (Stewarty AC, Angela Mudge and Nicky Cruikshank)
*Matt Knowles, Tom Spencer and Nancy Scott are Scotland-based athletes
Picked for European Champs: Sasha and Kirsty in GB Trail team
+++
Tags:
Related Articles
Latest Articles
Endurance Events
Latest Facebook update
Problem displaying Facebook posts. Backup cache in use.
Click to show error