National Short Course Cross Country Championships
The National Short Course Championships provided some phenomenal individual performances, even as we missed out on team medals with some key athletes absent. The club had fantastic representation across all age groups, from U/15s right up to seniors.
Individual Medal Glory
Pride of place goes to our senior athletes who delivered superb individual medals:
- Brogan Wallace (Senior Ladies): 3rd Place! This marks Brogan’s first individual medal at these championships, a brilliant achievement in a tough field.
- Avril Mason (F50): 2nd Place! Avril continues her incredible championship form, adding a second place to her tally. She now holds an impressive six individual medals across the F40 and F50 age groups—a truly inspiring record.
Top Finishers & Scotland Prospects
Our top senior man, Jamie Burns, delivered a tremendous performance, placing 6th in a very strong Senior Men’s race. Both Brogan and Jamie must now be in serious contention for a Scotland call-up for the prestigious UK European Cross Country Trial in Liverpool later this month.
Showing great promise for the future was Zoe Roberts, who finished a brilliant 9th in the U/15 Girls event.
Masters Success in the North East
Shettleston vests were also making waves down south, with Daniel Bradford returning home to compete in the Heaton Harriers Memorial 10km. Daniel finished 3rd overall but dominated his age group, collecting an incredible haul of V35 titles:
- First M35 overall
- North East Masters AA V35 Road Champion
- British Masters Athletics Federation V35 Champion
- 3rd North East Counties AA 10km Champion
A huge congratulations to Daniel on securing multiple major titles!
Local 10km Action
Closer to home, several Harriers competed in local 10km road races over the weekend:
Newton Runners 10km (Cambuslang)
- 11th: Calum Oates
- 58th: John Oates (2nd M60)
- 261st: Bob Porteous (M70)
- 330th: Joanne Harkins
Jimmy Irvine 10km (Bellahouston Park)
| Pos | Name | Chip Time | Category | Cat Pos |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 132 | Myrtle BRECKENRIDGE | 00:43:26 | SNR | 12 |
| 144 | Kristan ALEXANDER | 00:43:54 | V40 | 35 |
| 211 | Jessica BRYDON | 00:47:37 | SNR | 18 |
| 306 | Emma CHOUDHRY | 00:51:45 | SNR | 30 |
| 413 | Gerard MASON | 00:56:20 | V60 | 27 |
Full Results: National Short Course Cross Country
U/15 Girls (Team 10th – 108pts)
- 9th: Zoe Roberts
- 46th: Charlotte Reilly
- 65th: Ava Prentice
U/15 Boys (Team 12th – 138pts)
- 36th: Euan Grant Pantry
- 42nd: Ciaran Curley
- 60th: Sonny Muir
U/17 Ladies
- 33rd: Emma Lockie
- 43rd: Mairi Stephens
U/17 Men
- 66th: Sam McGowan
Senior Ladies (Team 6th – 142pts)
- 3rd: Brogan Wallace
- 18th: Clare Stewart
- 47th: Charlotte McKenna
- 74th: Kerry Gibson
- 88th: Avril Mason (2nd F50)
- 116th: Molly Quinn
- 189th: Naomi Browell
Senior Men (Team 5th – 162pts)
- 6th: Jamie Burns
- 36th: Philip Neilson
- 42nd: Sam Lesley
- 78th: Tom Porter
- 146th: Cameron Wallace
- 155th: Cameron Sharp
- 198th: Paul Sorrie
- 257th: Alex Manley
- 272nd: Denis Williams
- 282nd: Duncan McCauley
- 291st: Jack Turner
- 304th: Mark McColl
- 391st: Graeme Brown
Club Announcements & A Look Back
Next Major Event: West District Cross Country
Our next major event is the West District Cross Country Championships at Erskine on December 6th. Seniors who wish to be entered should contact John Mackay and Avril Mason ASAP.
Christmas Handicap – Save the Date!
The annual Christmas Handicap is set for December 13th at Alexandria Park. This historic event, which started back in 1904, is open to all age groups! Entry and details will be available soon.
A Note on History
Did you know that 139 years ago this month, the forerunners of modern cross country running set off at Lanark Race Course for the first National Cross Country Championships? Just 17 athletes from Clydesdale Harriers and Edinburgh Harriers took part! Edinburgh took the title from CH. Notably, the newspaper report noted it was a “quiet affair” as no alcohol was served for the first time in a long time at the race course! While Edinburgh Harriers are long gone, Clydesdale (who took part in the Short Course Championships this year) will celebrate their 140th birthday later this year.
Thank You, Volunteers!
A huge thank you to Elaine Mackay and John Mackay for bringing the all-important club tent again over the weekend! Elaine also took care of the numbers on the day. Remember, the club runs on volunteer effort—if you haven’t taken a turn, please step up and lend a hand at the next event!
