#Muddybrilliant! Lindsays District XC Champs review

Saturday 7th December 2019

Action from the West District XC at Balloch (photo by Bobby Gavin)

Huge thank you to our three host clubs for the Lindsays District XC – Inverness Harriers in the North, Dundee Hawkhill Harriers in the East and Dumbarton AAc in the West.

Also, big thank you from scottishathletics comms to three folk helping us with photos over the weekend Bobby Gavin (Balloch); Neil Renton (Piperdam); Grant Nairn (Dores). The help is much appreciated.

WEST DISTRICT XC Results

Balloch Castle Country Park on the banks of Loch Lomond provided a picturesque backdrop for the West District XC Champs – even though by the time the Senior Men set off in driving rain parts of the course had become like trench scenes from World War One!

Hills and mud are a pre-requisite for Scottish XC of course and in that sense Balloch delivered that in spades including uphill starts and downhill finishes.

Dumbarton AAC were the host club in their Centenary year and once again thanks are due to them and an army of volunteers who help make events happen.

Lachlan Oates was a clear winner in that Men’s race as the Scotland international went into an early lead that he never really looked like relinquishing.

Behind him, Cambuslang Harriers ruled the roost as they followed the Shettleston athlete home in second (Craig Jardine), third (Fraser Stuart) and fourth (Ryan Thomson).

Unsurprisingly, Cambuslang savoured a landslide team win with six athletes scoring just 42 points with Shettleston and Inverclyde taking the other medals.

Inverclyde AC Nynke Mulholland was the Senior Women’s champion, taking gold by 13 seconds from Kayleigh Jarrett of Shettleston and Catriona MacDonald of Bellahouston Road Runners.

Shettleston took the Women’s team golds from Giffnock North and Bellahouston Road Runners.

There were U20 titles for Holly little of VP-Glasgow and Thomas Berry of Garscube with team golds in both those races for Glasgow Uni.

Here are the gold medallists in the other, younger age groups:

U17 Men – Lewis Hannigan (Kilbarchan). Team – Kilbarchan

U17 Women – Hannah Anderson (East Kilbride AC). Team – Garscube

U15 Boys – Reuben MacDonald (Giffnock North). Team – Giffnock North

U15 Girls – Hannah Ryding (Giffnock North). Team – Giffnock North

U13 Boys – Oliver Patton (Kilbarchan). Team – Giffnock North

U13 Girls – Millie-McClelland Brooks (Glasgow School of Sport). Team – Kilbarchan

Masters gold medallists:

M40 Grant Baillie (East Kilbride AC); M50 David Gardiner (Motherwell AC)

W40 Toni McIntosh (Ayr Seaforth); W50 Anna Richardson (West End Road Runners)

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Action from Piperdam and the East District XC Champs (photo by Neil Renton)

EAST DISTRICT XC Results

Jamie Crowe and Annabel Simpson wore Scotland vests a couple of weeks ago at Liverpool in the British Cross Challenge and Euro Cross Trial.

Central AC’s Jamie, in fact, went very close indeed to swapping Piperdam near Dundee for Lisbon in Portugal with Annabel only a few places off the U13 Women’s selection.

So it was probably no surprise that the two pre-race favourites would emerge as our East District champions in the two Senior races at Piperdam. As it turned out, the winning marge was the same in both race.

Jamie won by 32 seconds with Ben Greenwood (Perth Strathtay) confirming his comeback with second place and silver as Cameron Strachan of Metro Aberdeen took bronze.

Corstorphine AAC packed well just below the podium to win the team golds from Central and Metro Aberdeen.

Similarly, Annabel won by 32 seconds from Scotland international marathon runner, Fiona Brian, of Metro Aberdeen. Taking third was another Metro Aberdeen athlete – Ginnie Barrand.

Fife AC took the team golds from Metro Aberdeen and Edinburgh AC.

There were U20 titles for Zoe Pflug of Edinburgh Uni Hare and Hounds and Hamish Hickey of Central AC. Edinburgh Uni won the Women’s golds and Central AC took the Men’s golds.

Here are the gold medallists in the other, young age groups:

U17 Women – Anna Hedley (Fife AC). Team – Fife AC

U17 Men – Andrew McGill (Livingston). Team – Dundee Hawkhill Harriers

U15 Girls – Katie Johnson (Edinburgh). Team – Fife AC

U15 Boys – Connor Bell (Central AC). Team – Central AC

U13 Girls – Olivia Robbins (Team East Lothian). Team – Edinburgh

U13 Boys – Rowan Whitworth (Livingston). Team – Aberdeen AAC

Masters gold medallists:

W40 Heather Anderson (Fife AC); W50 Fiona Matheson (Falkirk Vics)

M40 Ross Houston (Central AC); M50 Stuart Robertson (Perth Road Runners)

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Photo by Grant Nairn

Results now finalised on Event section page

John Newsom took the North District XC gold in the Senior Men’s race as the Inverness Harrier saw off all-comers in touch conditions at Dores close to Loch Ness.

Newsom won by 19 seconds from silver medallist Ross Gollan and third-placed Craig Campbell of Inverness. It was team golds for Inverness from Moray Road Runners and Highland Hill Runners.

In the women’s race, it was Forres athlete Moira Davie who emerged at the head of the field to win gold by nine seconds from Emma Watt of JSK and third-placed Caroline Marwick of Inverness Harriers.

Forres won the team golds in this one with silvers for Highland Hill Runners and bronzes for Moray Road Runners.

There were U20 titles at Dores for Emily Andrew and Luke Davidson of Inverness Harriers. Stornoway RAC took the team golds in the U20 Men’s race.

Here are the individual gold medallists in the other, younger age groups

U17 Women – Ellyn Smith (Moray RR)

U17 Men – Lucas Cairns (Inverness Harriers)

U15 Girls – Anna Cairns (Inverness Harriers)

U15 Boys – Lachlan Buchanan (Inverness Harriers)

U13 Girls – Kirsteen Burnett (Inverness Harriers)

U13 Boys – Andrew Baird (Ross County)

Stornoway took the U13 Boys golds to add to their U20 Men’s success with the other team golds a clean sweep for Inverness Harriers.

Masters gold medallists:

W40 Michelle Slater (Moray Road Runners); W50 Julie Wilson (Inverness Harriers)