Significant seven! Strong Scottish cohort all set for Euro Cross action

Friday 10th December 2021

Montage created by Sue Gyford with photos from Bobby Gavin, Mark Shearman (Armitt) and Jon-Paul Kearns (McCallum)

British Athletics announces 40-strong team 

Scottish athletes head for Dublin this weekend with GB and NI with hopes high of success at the Euro Cross.

The cohort is now seven strong after Stuart McCallum, named in the selection in the Senior Men’s team after a strong run in Liverpool, had his Scottish eligibility confirmed.

Stuart’s father, George, was a sprinter ‘back in the day’ and indeed for competed for Scotland at the 1986 Commonwealth Games in Edinburgh.

Double Olympian Andy Butchart and his Central AC team-mate Jamie Crowe lead the Scottish connection Men’s team – with Jamie making his GB and NI debut – and are joined by the London-based student.

Eloise Walker is with the U23 Women’s team and Megan Keith with the U20 Women. In the U20 Men’s team there are two Scots involved with places for Hamish Armitt and Lewis Hannigan.

Kilbarchan AAC athlete Lewis is making his GB debut, like Crowe and McCallum, but the other four all have previous international experience at this level in cross country.

The seven strong contingent equals our best ever representation in what will be the 27th episode of the Euro Cross.

Seven Scots were picked back in 2009 when the team features Andrew Lemoncello, Steph Twell and a young Callum Hawkins.

BBC coverage on Sunday

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Photo by Mark Shearman

Hamish Armitt: Journey to GB vests via injuries and diabetes

Hamish Armitt is preparing for the U20 Men’s race after competing in Lisbon in this event two years ago when he finished 31st.

Check out an inspirational read on the Giffnock North AAC website ahead of this weekend’s event in Dublin.

Hamish speaks very candidly about a number of issues and has key advice for young athletes and their coaches and parents ‘be patient‘.

Interesting to note that the writer of the piece, Clare Stevenson, coached Hamish at U11 level with Giffnock some years ago.

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Photo by Bobby Gavin

Megan Keith heads into the U20 Women’s race with a superb record in the British Cross Challenge in recent weeks – but knowing the opposition will be tough in Dublin.

Three Scandinavians edged ahead of the Scot in the Euro U20 3000m final in Estonia back in the summer – Finland’s Ilona Mononen, Denmark’s Sofia Thorgensen and Norway’s Ina Haugen – and all three will line-up on Sunday.

‘That’s interesting to hear they will all be there,’ said Megan, the Inverness Harriers athlete who has raced for Edinburgh Uni Hare and Hounds this season.

‘There wasn’t much between us on the track but I’d like to think I’m stronger at cross country.

‘At the same time, I don’t know how they might be running at the moment and I’m sure there’ll be other strong competitors as well.

‘I will probably run hard from the off and see what happens. As it’s only a 4k race I don’t want to give the fast girls too much of a chance to use their speed near the end. It’s the way I prefer to run so I’m happy with that.’

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Tags: Andy Butchart, Dublin, Eloise Walker, Euro Cross, Hamish Armitt, Jamie Crowe, Lewis Hannigan, Megan Keith, Stuart McCallum

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