Lindsays National XC

National heroes

All elements combine for memorable day in Callendar Park

By Peter Jardine I f every picture tells a story then the image of Jamie Crowe crossing the finishing line at the Lindsays National XC to win gold spoke volumes.

The Central AC athlete revealed in the aftermath of a memorable event that he had been reared on tales of the importance of the National XC by his father.

Who is the volunteer marshal on the finishing straight at Callendar Park celebrating as Crowe took gold? Yes, none other than his dad, Des.

Crowe Senior was one of the selfless many who offered their services when we appealed for marshal assistance – with the proviso that he wanted to have a chance to watch his son race.

Alex Jackson, in his wisdom and well aware the 24-year-old Run Stirling silver medallist could well be a favourite at Falkirk, deliberately placed Des on the finish straight marshal position with an idea that a special family moment may be created.

In truth, the special moments and memories will last a lifetime for almost everyone in attendance at a National XC which was delivered in extreme conditions both underfoot and overhead.

‘Four Seasons in One Day’ by Crowded House should have been the background music but, once again, our data confirms almost 1800 athletes toed the line and crossed at the finish. Not so much Crowded House as Crowded Fields.

It was a quite remarkable effort amid mud, snow, hail, sleet, rain and gusting winds which reached around 50 mph at times. Those of use holding on to the Scottish Athletics gazebo at various points feared entering the Scottish Hang-Gliding Championships – and being lifted airborne across the Forth to land somewhere in Fife.

So congratulations to each and every athlete who beat the course and the conditions. The only surprise on the podium was no place for Storm Ciara and Storm Dennis, those nasty weather siblings who made the countdown to Falkirk difficult for all involved in the preparation.

In fact, a number of pre-race favourites delivered tales of the expected and Crowe and Senior Women’s counterpart, Mhairi Maclennan, were chief among those with the likes of Megan Keith (Inverness Harriers, U20 gold) and Anna Hedley (Fife AC, U17 gold) two more in that category.

‘It had worried me all week that I was probably the favourite,’ said Jamie.

‘Jonny Glen was with me for the first-half of the race or so but I managed to get away on the second lap and then it was a case of just pushing on as hard as I could.

‘It is special to win this and help Central to 10-in-a-row.’

Central, with 92 points, won that title from the challenges of silver medallists Edinburgh Uni Hare and Hounds and bronze medallists Corstorphine AAC. With Alastair Hay in sixth - for yet another top 10 finish by the double former champion - Central had further counters in Cameron Milne, Matthew Sutherland, Dale Colley and Conan McCaughey.

Maclennan for her part came home in 39.44 to savour a winning margin of 30 seconds over silver medallist, Annabel Simpson of Fife AC, and bronze medallist, Moira Stewart of Cambuslang Harriers.

With Simpson in second and Steph Pennycook in fourth, Fife AC had the platform for a repeat of their 2019 team success with all their six counters inside the top 21 in a race which had attracted a Record entry of 433 Women.

Backing up those two athletes were Jennifer Spence, Megan Crawford, Heather Anderson and Jennifer Cruickshanks in a great team performance which delighted scottishathletics President, Ron Morrison, long-time coach at Fife AC.

‘It was great to win gold for the second time in my career and especially after being fourth last year,’ said Mhairi.

‘The conditions today with wind, mud and sleet were so tough and really everybody who was out there and competed deserves a medal. It was a big field again for the Senior Women’s race and it is wonderful being part of that. Our Senior Women’s 1-2-3 at Falkirk with Mhairi Maclennan (Inverness Harriers) flanked by silver medallist Annabel Simpson (Fife AC) on right and bronze medallist Moira Stewart (Cambuslang Harriers) on left.

‘I think athletics in Scotland, particularly on the endurance side, is in a good place at the moment – and you saw that with the response from clubs on a pretty awful weekend for weather and travelling.’

Fife AC had won their golds after being joined on the podium by Shettleston Harriers and Edinburgh Uni Hare and Hounds.

The U20 races delivered a sense of déjà vu as Megan Keith of Inverness Harriers and Freddie Carcas of Edinburgh AC, repeated podium successes of 12 months ago.

Carcas was a surprise winner in a sense, as he has been injured for much of this winter, but he saw off the Central AC duo of Hamish Hickey and Tom Graham-Marr.

Central AC took the team golds in that race with Dundee Uni in second and Edinburgh Uni Hare and Hounds in third.

Photos by Bobby Gavin Keith has reigned supreme in XC this winter in Scotland, winning the Short Course at Kirkcaldy and also the Run Stirling U20 as well as recently posting an U20 Course Record at Armagh. Cera Gemmell of Team East Lothian was second and Holly Paige of Edinburgh Uni was third.

Edinburgh Uni Hare and Hounds won team gold from their Glasgow counterparts with St Andrews Uni taking home the bronzes.

If Central AC and Fife AC have become synonymous with team success at the Lindsays National XC in the Senior races, then Giffnock North AC invariably feature on the podium in the younger age groups.

The 2020 event was to prove no different, certainly in terms of the individual medals where the Glasgow club opened up with three of the first four gold medals. It was no different in the team sense.

Our U13 Girls took centre stage in the opening race of the day. It was sunshine when they started and snow when they finished and they only ran just over 3k!

Glasgow School of Sport colours were to the fore when Millie McLelland Brooks raced through to the win from Olivia Warboys of Kilmarnock Harriers and third-placed Freya Campbell of Giffnock North. Campbell’s performance helped lead Giffnock to their first set of team golds.