Scots head for British Cross Challenge in Liverpool with hopes high

Wednesday 23rd November 2022

Photo by Bobby Gavin

A strong cohort of top Scottish athletes are Merseyside-bound this weekend – with a number harbouring hopes of booking a trip to Turin in December.

The British Cross Challenge races at Liverpool on Saturday double up as the GB and NI trials for the Euro Cross event being held in Italy on Sunday 11 December.

It’s never an exact science trying to ‘call’ in advance these trial races but what is not in dispute is to say there are Scots headed south with realistic ambitions of making selection.

No fewer than two dozen have been handed Scotland vests in recognition of recent performances and arguably our U23 ‘teams’ look particularly strong this year.

British Athletics website preview with link to live stream coverage

The Men’s U20 quartet – with three of them from Kilbarchan AAC – have all represented GB and NI in the past couple of years in cross country, hill running and track, so there’s an element of experience already for Lewis Hannigan, Jack Patton, Fraser Gilmour and Tendai Nyabadza.

Megan Keith is the reigning U20 European champion after a superb run in Dublin last year (see our video at foot of this story) and is bidding for U23 representation via the Senior race. The Women run over 8.1k in Liverpool with the Men’s race at 9.8k.

There is a club element, too, with Central AC representing Scotland in a bid to compete for Britain at the Euro Club Cross Champs early next year.

So the likes of Tom Graham-Marr and Ben MacMillan, picked for Scotland at Senior Men’s level, and Hamish Hickey, at U23, will wear their Central AC vests as the squad guided by coach Derek Easton look to deliver strong counters in the challenge with English and Welsh clubs.

Liverpool information

Alice Goodall and Hannah Ryding of Giffnock North (in background) both represent Scotland at Liverpool (photo by Bobby Gavin)

A number of those selected for the Scotland vests were in action at the Scottish Student Sport Champs in Glasgow last weekend.

Alice Goodall took the Women’s title over 8k and is looking forward to the Sefton Park race.

‘It was good to get in a ‘practice run’ if you like over 8k at the Scottish Student Sport Champs give that is the distance in Liverpool,’ said Alice.

‘I am really looking forward to it. A number of my team-mates from Edinburgh Uni Hare and Hounds are selected as well and the likes of Holly Page, too, so there will be a good team spirit and atmosphere.

‘I raced the British Cross Challenge there at U17 level but that was a few years ago and a much shorter distance. This is longer and the U23s are in with the Senior Women but hopefully I can keep in touch and be involved in the race.’

Here’s a reminder of the Scotland selections for the British Cross Challenge at Liverpool . . .

Senior Men: Scott Stirling (Falkirk Victoria Harriers); Tom-Graham Marr (Central AC/Aberdeen Uni) and Ben MacMillan (Central AC/Stirling Uni); Callum Tharme (Strathclyde Uni/Gala Harriers)

Senior Women: Steph Twell (Kilbarchan AAC); Megan Keith (Edinburgh Uni Hare and Hounds/Inverness Harriers); Kirsty Walker (Edinburgh AC); Brogan Wallace (Inverclyde AC)

Men’s U23: Duncan Robinson (Giffnock North AC); Hamish Hickey (Central AC/Stirling Uni); Christian Graham (Lasswade AC/Dundee Uni); Jamie Burns (Shettleston Harriers/Glasgow Uni)

Women’s U23: Eloise Walker (Edinburgh AC/Glasgow Uni); Holly Page (Carnethy RC); Alice Goodall (Edinburgh Uni Hare and Hounds/Edinburgh AC); Constance Nankivell (Edinburgh Uni Hare and Hounds/East Sutherland AC)

Men’s U20: Lewis Hannigan (Kilbarchan AAC), Jack Patton (Kilbarchan AAC/Strathclyde Uni) and Fraser Gilmour (Kilbarchan AAC); Tendai Nyabadza (Harmeny AC)

Women’s U20: Hannah Ryding (Giffnock North AC); Meredith Reid (Inverclyde AC/Strathclyde Uni); Sarah Coutts (Fife AC); Pippa Carcas (Edinburgh AC)