Our guide to the Hill Running season ahead

Friday 4th March 2022

Scottish hill runners performed superbly at the Lindsays National XC with Ross Gollan taking Senior Men’s silver and Andy Douglas the bronze (photo by Bobby Gavin)

By Angela Mudge, Hill Running Lead with scottishathletics

After a sparse couple of years, the Scottish hill running community are looking forward to a packed calendar in 2022.

The scottishathletics senior hill running season kicks off with the North District Championships on April 23 over a new route the Two Mamores Hill Race.

The following weekend is a busy one with both the scottishathletics Senior and Junior Championship falling on the April 30 and May 1.

Stuc a’Chroin hosts the Seniors on the Saturday and the Lomonds Junior Race, Falkland, on the Sunday.

The British Athletics Hill and Fell Running Championships starts on 9 April in Northern Ireland over the Seven Sevens. To finish the series runners must complete three of the 4-race series.

Within the series, the Scottish counter is on July 2 at Durisdeer Hill Race.

Photo by Chris Paggett

Both the Junior and Senior UK Inter Counties Championships are in May.

Llanberis hosts the senior event on May 7 and Great Whernside hosts the Junior event on May 15.  For Juniors, age categories are U15, U17 and U20.

Juniors interested in competing please contact angela.mudge@scottishathletics.org.uk. Seniors contact their District Rep.

The U18 Mountain Running Cup is in Sakuzzo, Italy on June 26. Scotland will take three junior girls and boys (born in 2005 or 2006) to the event.

The trial will be held on Sunday 22 May from Alva. If you are interested in this event please contact Angela.

The Senior Home International is in Alva on May 22 and incorporates the trial for the European Off-Road Championships. The course is significantly longer than in previous years, covering 18km.

The Snowdon International is on 16 July.

Scotland hill runners in 2021

Super Sunday! Scotland top the podium in both races at British Hill Champs

Once again the Cademuir Rollercoaster, in Peebles on August 13, will be the trial race for the Junior Home International in Ambleside on September 3 over the same course where Isla Hedley and Fraser Gilmour were victorious last year in the U18 Cup.

The junior league (U20, U17, U15, U13 categories and races for younger athletes at some) starts on 10^th April with the new Dumyat Junior Hill Race.

These races are designed as a gentle introduction to hill running. Details are online.

This year see the inaugural European Off-Road Championships (formally the European Mountain Running Championships) in La Palma, 1-3 July and the inaugural World Mountain and Trail Running Championship in Thailand, 3-6 November.

These Championships are combining mountain and trail running in a single event. Jacob Adkin is still the reigning European Champion from 2019 and will be hoping to compete here.

The events include an uphill only race, a classic up and down race, a 40 to 50 km mountain trail race and an 80km ultra-trial race (Worlds only).

Scotland is hosting the GB trial races for both the Uphill Only and Up and Down Races. The Uphill Only will be on Friday 20 May climbing Ben Lomond and the Up and Down Trial will be on Sunday 22 May, starting from above Alva in the Ochils.

All trial dates and details can be found online.

Jacob Adkin crosses the line to win the 2019 European Champs in Switzerland and is still defending champion because of Covid cancellations (Photo via European Athletics).

 

Tags: Angela Mudge, hill running