Hill running season preview – details of key events and dates to note

Saturday 21st March 2026

By Angela Mudge

Scottish hill runners are preparing for the season ahead and we are pleased to offer this preview on a number of events – with opportunities to run on the hills for your club, your (hill) district or even wearing a Scotland or GB and NI vest.

The North District Championship kicked off the scottishathletics hill running season this year at Craig Dunain on Saturday 14 March. The new course provided a good opener to the season.

Next up is the scottishathletics Senior and U20 Championships on an Uphill Only course at Ben Ledi on 11 April. This format is popular in Europe and a great introduction to racing on the hills if you are not sure about descending on rough terrain.

The scottishathletics Junior Championships (U18 – U14) are at Broughton Heights on Saturday 16 May, which is also the trial for the U18 Mountain Cup in Italy.

The domestic season continues with the West and East District Championships on Saturday 30 May and Saturday 20 June at Durisdeer and Lawbreaker respectively.

The British Athletics Hill and Fell Running Championship short race is on 12 July at Pen -y-Fan, a classic short race in the Brecon Beacons. The long race is the Old Crown Round, in the Lakes on 12 September. The team competition will score over the two events.

Internationally the European Off-Road Running Championships are early this year on 5 -7 June. The event includes an U20 and senior uphill only race and classic up and down race and a senior 53 km mountain trail race. All set in the hills around Kamnik in Solvenia.

All trial dates and details can be found at https://www.uka.org.uk/competition/running/mountain-running/european-off-road-championships/

The Senior Up and Down trial is incorporated into Inter-counties Mountain Running Championships on Sunday 3 May from Sedbergh. If you are interested in representing your District, please contact your district rep by April 20. The junior event is on 14 June in Edale, please contact Phil Mestecky (phil.mestecky@yahoo.co.uk) if you are interested.

U18 Mountain Running Cup for athletes born in 2009 and 2010 is in Gagliano del Capo, Italy on Saturday 14 June. It promises to be interesting in this remote part of Italy.

If you are interested in this event, please contact angela.mudge@scottishathletics.org.uk

The Snowdon International will incorporate the Senior Home Countries International on July 18, where two U23 male and female athletes will be selected in addition to the normal team of four. And the Junior Home Countries International is in the Mournes, N. Ireland on Saturday 12 September.

The trial for the JHI is at Cademuir Rollercoaster on Sunday 16 August.

For 2026 there is an U20 league and junior league (U18, U16, U14, U12 categories and races for younger athletes at some).

The U20 league starts at Birnam on 28 March and the junior league starts at Dumyat, Stirling on 19 April. These races are designed as a gentle introduction to hill running.

Trail Running

Crieff 10km on 12 July will again host the scottishathletics mid trail championships. The route will use a new trail which misses some of the tarmac section near the start and finish.

The scottishathletics ultra trail championship is at the Highland Fling on 29 August.

For 2026 there will be a pilot East District Trail Running Championship at Dechmont Law on 15 June to see if there is an appetite for a district trail running championship.