Heart and sole: How Aidan helped Central AC to golds – in one shoe!

Monday 27th October 2025

Best foot forward . . . Central AC’s Aidan Thompson races first leg at Cumbernauld minus his left shoe (photo by Bobby Gavin)

From grassroots to elite – Olympians leave us enthralled by Cumbernauld

By Peter Jardine

Like so many of our Scottish athletes, Aidan Thompson always gives his heart and soul for his club in national championship events.

The Central AC runner did so again at Cumbernauld to land team gold in the Lindsays National XC Relays – after running in his left sock after losing a shoe!

Aidan’s left heel was caught on the start-line and the shoe was left behind complete with six-inch tear in the material.

It didn’t stop him tackling 4K on the opening leg to hand over to Hamish Hickey before Andy Butchart and Jamie Crowe guided Central home to seven-in-a-row.

‘I felt my foot being caught (by someone behind me) in the very first stride or two on the start-line of the Relay first leg,’ Aidan told us.

‘There’s no option but to keep on running! I have seen Bobby Gavin’s photo of the race start and remarkably you can see my shoe in mid-air.

‘I had a solid enough run although the corners were more difficult than usual. When I handed over I went back to the pen and one of the Officials had kept the ripped shoe for me. I think it has run its last race, though.’

Members of a certain age will know Brian Whittle was known for a time as One Shoe Whittle after losing his spikes in a 4x400m relay.

Brian and his GB and NI team-mates won gold in the European Champs in Germany in 1986 despite the Scot running the third leg in ‘the fastest sock in history’.

Well done to Aidan and to Central AC Senior Men!

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Young Females race action with the best finisher numbers since 2019 (photo by Bobby Gavin)

Lindsays National XC Relays finisher numbers

Finisher numbers for Cumbernauld once again suggest the Lindsays National XC Relays are hugely popular.

We had 533 teams entered which was the best for three years in terms of entries but it is often good to look at the number of teams that actually finished.

In the two young age groups, the numbers were the best since prior to the Covid pandemic.

In the W50 Women’s race, there was an equal record number as a dozen teams finished.

Here’s the completed teams tallies . . .

Young Females 77 (best since 2019)
Young Males 70 (best since 2019

Senior Women 52
Masters Women 17
W50 Women 12 (equals record)

Senior Men 95
Masters Men 23
M50 Men 24

With thanks to Alex Jackson