Lindsays Cross Country Season off to great start despite weather issues

Saturday 7th October 2023

Callum Hawkins was back in cross country action at Alexandra Park at the West District XC Relays (photo by Bobby Gavin)

*Report still subject to corrections, alterations, additions. Thanks for your patience.

By Peter Jardine, Head of Communications

Leading sportswriter Hugh MacDonald once described cross country as ‘life-affirming’ after a visit to the Lindsays National XC at Falkirk. And Hugh had not pulled on spikes.

The label came to mind on Saturday as the Lindsays Cross Country Season kicked off at three venues with our District XC Relays events.

With uncanny timing, the weather conditions were, well, #LindsaysXC, and yet we remain convinced hundreds of athletes around the country will have felt good later in the day. After they warmed up, dried off and enjoyed the endorphin ‘high’ of competing. Life-affirmed, even.

Thanks therefore to every single athlete who competed at the East, north and West events. And a huge thank you to the volunteers, host clubs and Officials from scottishathletics who helped make it all happen.

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West Results

It’s not often we are treated to the presence of Olympians at District XC events but that’s what happened at the West at Alexandra Park close to the M8 Glasgow.

Laura Muir kindly gave us her time to present medals for the two age group races and posed for many a rain-soaked selfie with total patience.

Callum Hawkins pulled on his spikes to race the anchor leg in the Senior Men’s race and he guided Kilbarchan AAC home after solid performances by Jack Patton, Fraser Gilmour and Lewis Hannigan.

Glasgow Uni Hare and Hounds had an excellent day to finish second with host club Shettleston Harriers taking the bronzes.

Shettleston women had a superb season last year and picked up where they left off to win here – although Fionnuala Ross had to work really hard to see off the challenge of Cambuslang Harriers (Steph Tucker) in the final leg. Giffnock North took third.

In the age group races, Giffnock North led the way in the Young Females race to land their golds from Laura. Kilbarchan AAC took the silvers and Giffnock landed more medals with a second team on the podium for the bronzes.

Giffnock are always strong at this event and they took the top two podium places in the Young Males race for a fine club 1-2. Again, Kilbarchan AAC were third.

*Masters golds in the West went to Cambuslang Harriers in the Men’s race and Giffnock North in the Women’s.

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Photo by Innes Chalmers

East Results

Stirling University took the Senior Men’s race honours at the East District XC Relays event at Livingston – with their first-ever success in this race.

The Stirling students lineup of Ryan Martin, Mark Carberry, Alastair Marshall and Ben MacMillan always looked like favourites on paper and so it proved over grass and mud.

Taking home silvers were Edinburgh Uni Hare and Hounds with Aberdeen AAC in third.

Edinburgh Uni Hare and Hounds are always strong at this on the Women’s side of things and their teams took the top two places with Edinburgh AC in third. The winning team featured Emily Anna Shjaw, Charlotte Clare and Niamh Carr.

Team East Lothian won the Young Females race from Falkirk Victoria Harriers and Aberdeen. The T.E.L winning trio were Imogen Turner, Cerys Wright and Olivia Robbinson.

Falkirk took the golds in the Young Males race with the combined efforts of Thomas Mitchell, Ray Taylor and Luke Culliton. Harmeny AC were second and Team East Lothian took third.

*Masters titles at Livingston went to Gala in the Women’s race and to PH Racing in the Men’s.

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Senior Women’s podium in the North (photo via North District RR and CC Facebook page)

North Results

East Sutherland assembled  a strong quartet to lift the men’s title for the first time at the Lindsays North District XC Relays at soaking wet Nairn.

International hill runner Ross Gollan anchored the side to victory, 72 seconds clear of Moray Road Runners, with defending champions Inverness third.

Gollan also had the fastest time of 11:02 from Stephen Mackay of Inverness (11:33) and Finlay Murray of East Sutherland (11:38). The other East Sutherland team members were Alasdair Coupar and Ruairidh Gollan.

Moray Road Runners returned the three fastest times in the women’s race to land their first title for five years in 44:32.

They were over two minutes ahead of  Inverness Harriers and JS Kintore were third.

Katie Anderson had the fastest time (14:02) followed by team mates Katya Blunden (14:12) and Gemma Cormack (14:18).

Highland Hill Runners were clear winners of the male Masters race and the female title went to Inverness Harriers by just three seconds from the Hill Runners.

Inverness had a clean sweep of the first three places in the Young Females’ race.

They also produced nine of the top 11 times and the fastest (8:58) came from Katie Meek running for Inverness B.

Ross County dominated the Young Males event, taking both gold and silver as well as fourth place Inverness topk the bronze medals with team gold medallist Andrew Baird was fastest with 8:00.

With thanks to Charles Bannerman

Tags: Callum Hawkins, Laura Muir, Lindsays Cross Country Season, Lindsays District XC Relays