Scots head for Liverpool – and XC events at home

Wednesday 20th November 2019

Megan Keith and Cera Gemmell race at Kirkcaldy – and both are Scotland picks at U20 for Liverpool (photo by Bobby Gavin)

Liverpool start-lists and info

Scottish athletes will compete for GB vests at the British Cross Challenge event in Liverpool on Saturday – with the races doubling up as the trials for the Euro Cross in Lisbon next month.

It’s also a great opportunity for athletes of various ages and stages from Scotland to dip their toes in UK-wide competition and we are expecting more than 100 or so to travel south.

Several clubs have made the Merseyside weekend a regular on their calendar although, back home, there are county championship events as well as league meetings in the East and North, too.

Andy Butchart is yet to decide if he wants to launch a Euro Cross bid or whether he might miss Liverpool but apply for a discretionary place in Portugal. Callum Hawkins won’t race this weekend, as he is addressing our Club Conference.

Nonetheless, a number of other Scots will carry selection hopes at U20, U23 and Senior level and not least the 22 selected to represent scottishathletics for this event, with support and Joma Scotland kit provided if required.

There are a number of familiar names involved but also a handful of athletes for whom this will be a first chance to represent Scotland.

Mhairi Maclennan and Jonny Glen are among those who will represent Scotland at the Euro Cross trials (photo by Whyler Photos of Stirling)

Here are the selections for the British Cross Challenge in Liverpool:

Senior Men: Jamie Crowe (Central AC), Jonny Glen (Inverclyde AC), Ryan Thomson (Cambuslang Harriers), Lachlan Oates (Shettleston Harriers)

Senior Women: Mhairi Maclennan (Inverness Harriers), Steph Pennycook (Fife AC), Jenny Selman (Fife AC)

U23 Men: Sol Sweeney (Glasgow Uni), Jack Leitch (Edinburgh Uni Hare and Hounds), Connor Maclean (Kilbarchan AAC), Max Milarvie (VP-Glasgow)

U23 Women: Annabel Simpson (Fife AC), Holly Little (VP-Glasgow), Kerry Macangus (Kilbarchan AAC)

U20 Men: Hamish Armitt (Giffnock North AC), Hamish Hickey (Central AC), Cameron Wright (Kilbarchan AAC), Kristof Hornyik (Dundee Hawkhill)

U20 Women: Eloise Walker (Glasgow Uni), Megan Keith (Inverness Harriers), Cera Gemmell (Team East Lothian), Zoe Pflug (Edinburgh Uni Hare and Hounds)

While there is no actual team race opportunity at international level at Liverpool, we do regard this as a good opportunity for these athletes to represent Scotland and to hopefully push for Euro Cross selections.

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There are number of county cross country championship events taking place this weekend in the west of Scotland as well as the second East League XC match and a North League match.

If you are looking for more information on these fixtures, then it is well worth checking out the Event Section page for the particular event.

The East League XC match two is taking place at Broxburn.

Broxburn

*There will be a minute’s silence at Broxburn prior to the first race in memory of Fred McCluskie.

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The Renfrewshire AAA XC Champs are on Saturday at Tower Hill in Gourock.

Tower Hill

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The Dunbartonshire AAA XC Champs are being held at Maryhill Park in Glasgow.

Maryhill Park

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The Lanarkshire AAA XC Champs are being held in Strathaven this year (please note a change of venue from previous years).