Jamie Crowe takes gold in the Senior Men’s race at Lanark (photo by Bobby Gavin)
By Peter Jardine
A couple of hundred miles separate Lanark and Liverpool via the M74 and M6 – but at times on Saturday it felt as if the distance had been cut to 4K.
Both our Senior champions at the Lindsays Short Course Champs are already making plans for Merseyside and the forthcoming Euro Cross trial races at the British Cross Challenge event at Sefton Park on Saturday 25 November.
GB and NI internationals Eloise Walker and Jamie Crowe proved their class over the short distance in Lanark and will seek to be just as effective when the distance increases in Lancashire.
The duo from Edinburgh AC and Central AC respectively triumphed at the front of big fields – with the combined finisher number for those two U20/Senior/Masters races coming in just below 800 athletes.
That’s a rermarkable endorsement for the Lindsays Cross Country Season and indeed the Short Course XC event itself.
We say right away a huge thank you to all who pulled on their spikes and vests on Saturday as well as coaches, volunteers, Officials and host club Law and District AAC to help deliver an excellent day of cross country.
The atmosphere at these occasions is to be savoued and the feelgood factor spread across our social channels.
With athletes from the Western Isles and champions from Inverness Harriers and Gala, it really is a national championship event.
Eloise won the Women’s race by a decent margin and the real battle was for silver – with her Edinburgh AC team-mate, Kirsty Walker, winning that one against bronze medallist, Fionnuala Ross of Shettleston Harriers.
‘It was good to be back racing cross country and to win – I was here two years ago and the conditions were appalling,’ laughed Eloise.
‘This time it was very firm underfoot and we even had sunshine. I prefer it when it is not too muddy and it worked to my advantage.
‘I will go to Liverpool and try and contest selection for the U23 Women’s team for the Euro Cross. You know at the moment in Britain that making teams is tough but hopefully I can have a good race there and be in the mix.’
That Women’s race had 281 finishers and the appeal of 4K cross country was very much apparent right through the field and the various ages and stage – with Masters medals for the likes…
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