Eight Scots prepare for Euro Off-Road Champs in Spain

Thursday 30th June 2022

Jacob Adkin won the European Mountain Running Champs three years ago and is in action this weekend (photo via European Athletics)

Scots picked by British Athletics for Euro Champs

Eight Scottish athletes are set to compete for GB and NI at the inaugural European Off-Road Running Championships based in El Paso on the Spanish island of La Palma, on 1-3 July.

This is the first time mountain running and trail running both feature in the European Championships.

It will be a busy few days of racing in El Paso. The uphill only event kicks off the championships on Friday where the runners climb up the mountain overlooking El Paso and the volcano that erupted nearby in 2021.

The lower section of the course is very dry and very different from what athletes encounter in more traditional alpine mountain races.

Higher up, the runners will race over beautiful trails in pine woodland. Temperatures are 23 to 26 degrees in July so the shade will be appreciated.

Saturday is the 47k trail race and Sunday sees the classic up-and-down mountain race. The Juniors are racing over two laps whilst the seniors race over a testing out and back 17k course which is very fast underfoot.

Seven Scots were selected but that number is now at eight with Edinburgh Uni Hare and Hounds athlete, Holly Page, having had Scotland eligibility confirmed.

The Scots representing Great Britain in Spain this weekend are as follows . . .

Jacob Adkin (Keswick) – Uphill only

Scout Adkin (Moorfoot Runners) – Uphill only and up-and-down

Louisa Brown (Garscube Harriers) – Junior uphill only

Kirsty Dickson (Carnethy HRC) – Uphill only

Andy Douglas (Inverclyde AC) – Up-and-down

Fraser Gilmour (VP-Glasgow) – Junior up-and-down

Isla Hedley (Fife AC) – Junior uphill only and up-and-down

Holly Page (Edinburgh Uni Hare and Hounds) – Uphill only and up-and-down

Edinburgh University Hare and Hounds athlete Matt Knowles (up-and-down) is also a member of the team and is well-known on the scene in Scotland across hills, cross country and road running.

Everyone at scottishathletics wishes all the athletes the very best of luck for this weekend’s championships.

With thanks to Angela Mudge

Banchory hill runner Kirsty Dickson ready for international debut https://t.co/3Y6Fj7FkPf pic.twitter.com/4Fm7qZAKhE

— P&J Sport (@PandJSport) June 24, 2022