It was a beautiful sunny winter’s day at Callander Park Falkirk for this year’s National Cross Country Championships, a gruelling 10k race on a ‘well kent’ undulating parkland course.
With more than forty club tents pitched and over nine hundred and fifty athletes racing at Senior level, the event is a true ‘festival’ of Scottish cross country running.
Alice Goodall of Edinburgh AC won the Senior Women’s race, only a week after making the podium at the World Universities Cross Country in the 30 degree heat of Oman.
In the Women’s Under 20s race, Ruby McGill (30:42) finished a very creditable 23rd in a field of 43.
The Glenpark Ladies Team secured 21st place. Counters were Lorna Mitchell (51:58), Lynne Harrison (53:27), Marianne McKay (54:27), Sarah Jane Whalen (57:46), Eileen Stevenson (1:00:07) and Jill Aikman (1:00:42).
Unfortunately for reasons outwith their control, Eileen and Jill and the remaining other Ladies didn’t manage to the start on time.
Although faster, their official times were as follows : Heather Lafferty (1:05:08), Helen Crawford (1:09:38), Doris Heron (1:23:43) and Charlotte McKay (1:23:43 also).
In a really high quality Men’s U20s race, with a field of 56 starters, Kyle Johnstone (24:48) finished in 31st place, whilst Shaun Wiseman secured 53rd in a time of 28:25.
In the Senior Men’s race, Jamie Crowe took gold and his third National title, a place better than last year.
The Central AC athlete had to settle for silver some 12 months previously when losing out to Logan Rees of Fife AC in the Senior Men’s race.
First home for Glenpark, representing the University of Glasgow was Harry McGill in an excellent time of 36:41.
The Senior Men’s Team consisting of Dylan Crawford (37:30), Andrew McCall (37:47), Daniel Docherty (38:40), Chris Mooney (41:16), Owen Atkinson (41:20) and Colin McKnight secured 23rd team place.
Best runs of the day came from Daniel Doherty who finished 25th in the M40 category, Micky Dunn (50:05) who was 21st in the M60 category and Frank McMahon (53:25) with a brilliant 3rd in the M70 category.
Runs worthy of special mention came from John Stevenson (45:44) and William Taylor (46:19).
The other finishers were Gavin Morrison (48:27), David Thomson (49:44), Stuart Crawford (55:19) and David Williamson.
Greg Luke pulled out at the end of the second lap (DNF).
Many thanks to Alison Smart for taking the following excellent photographs
