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Scottish National Cross Country Championships – Saturday 24 February 2018 – Callender Park, Falkirk

This years National Cross Country Championships took place at Callender Park, Falkirk on Saturday in conditions completely different from last year when it was a washout. There was a much smaller contingent from Seaforth this year but those who did compete had a memorable day.

First off were the U13 Girls with Seaforth but a problem with the chip timing system for this race has left it somewhat difficult to provide accurate times for those outside the top finishers. What is without question is that the finish order for Seaforth was Islay Hubbard 35th (no time), Tess Crooks 67th (15:13), Sophie McColm 74th (15:16),

The U13 Boys race was next and by this race the timing system was fully operational. Adam Currie led the Seaforth athletes home taking 38th position in a time of 2:42 for the 3100m course followed by Brodie McGregor 91st (13:30), Connor Scobie 119th (13:58) and Calum Moir 120th (3:59).

The U15 Girls race was next over a 4100m course and it was in this race that the Seaforth performance of the day was witnessed with Rosie Davidson narrowly missing out on a podium finish taking 4th place in 15:39. She was followed by team mates Isla Kirk 44th (17:42), Morven Hubbard 49th (17:49), Kitty Cooper-Hinton 117th (19:59) and Efthalia Karouzaki 33rd (22:19).

The U15 Boys raced over the same course with sole Seaforth representative Alex Crooks finishing in 67th place with a time of 16:15.

The only U17 athlete from Seaforth was U17 Woman Emma Frew who raced over a 6000m course to take 13th place in 26:25.

With there also being no U20 athletes from the club it was left to the Senior Men to complete Seaforth participation on the day. As usual this race has an enormous number of athletes competing with no fewer than 623 this year. The first home wearing the red cross of Seaforth was Kenny Neill who took 96th place after running over 10000m in a time of 38:01 followed by Alasdair Meldrum 347th (44:19), Iain Pettigrew 460th (47:43), Laurence Baker 468th (47:59), Ian Morrison 530th (50:45) and Stuart McColm 556th (52:30).

Great Edinburgh Run & Inter District XC 2018 – Holyrood Park, edinburgh

Last weekend saw the Great Edinburgh Run and Inter District Cross Country take place at Holyrood Park, Edinburgh for perhaps the last time as Edinburgh City Council are withdrawing funding for the event. In the Great Edinburgh Junior Run Ayr Seaforth U13 athlete Iona Hubbard had a fantastic run to take 3rd place in a time of 10:23. Shortly after the road races the Inter District Cross Country races along with the various International Cross Country races took place. Those chosen for the Inter District races were selected based on their performances during the current cross country season particularly their finishing positions in the recent District Cross Country Championships. Selected for Team West in the U13 Girls race was the Islay Hubbard who is the sister of Iona Hubbard and in the U15 race Rosie Davidson represented Team West. Islay Hubbard came home in 32nd place with a time of 13:20 for the 3000m race while Rosie Davidson followed up on her recent Scottish selection with an excellent 7th place in 15:52 over a 4000m course. Well done to all girls from everyone at Ayr Seaforth.

Celtic Nations Cross Country – Antrim, NI – Saturday 6 January 2018

Last weekend saw Seaforth U15 athlete Rosie Davidson compete for Team Scotland in this years Celtic Cross Country Championships which took place at Greenmount Campus, Antrim, Northern Ireland. The event was integrated into the latest leg of the British Cross Country Challenge with International teams representing Ireland, Northern Ireland & Ulster, Wales and Scotland competing alongside many club athletes competing individually in their respective age group races. Rosie was selected after her excellent silver medal run at the West District Cross Country Championships which took place at Irvine last month. With there being no U15 age group for the International teams Rosie was selected for the U17 age group which meant a step up in competition for her which she took in her stride. After a tough 3600m race with the U17 & U20 women running together Rosie came home as 7^th U17 in a time of 15.05 with the Scottish U17 team taking first place. Congratulations to Rosie from all at Ayr Seaforth.

British Cross Challenge – Liverpool – Saturday 25 November 2017

A smaller contingent than that of recent years represented Ayr Seaforth at this years Liverpool leg of the British Cross Challenge which took place as usual at Sefton Park in Liverpool. This is a series of races at different venues in England, Wales & Ireland with the Liverpool race also doubling as the European Cross Country Trials for those in the older age groups. Those younger athletes competing gain valuable experience of participation in a much larger field with several thousand spectators watching them and they also get to rub shoulders with the sports elite.

The U11 races are over a 1900m course and in the U11 Boys Fraser McIntyre came home in 59th place (8:23) while in the U11 Girls race Iona Hubbard had a remarkable run to take 6th place in 8:15.

The U13 age group took on a 3000m course with Brodie McGregor taking 57th in the boys with a time of 12:26 and in the girls race Islay Hubbard finished in a creditable 19th (12:23) with Julie Dunn 92nd (14:01).

The U15 age group covered the same 3000m course where Alex Crooks and Euan Bell took 89th (11:26) and 101st (11:39) respectively. In the girls race there was a fantastic effort from Rosie Davidson who finished in an excellent 8th (11:22) while Morven Hubbard was 47th (12:36).

The final representative for Seaforth on the day was in the U17 Mens race which was over a 5500m course, Scott Sprang claiming 68th (20:17).

Ayrshire Cross Country Championships – Rozelle,Ayr – Saturday 25 November 2017

This years Ayrshire Cross Country Championships took place on Saturday at a very muddy and cold Rozelle Park, Ayr. While quite a low key event it is a great way for those younger athletes to get a grounding in the sport. There were several individual as well as team medals won by Seaforth with the U11 Boys team taking Gold, the U13 Boys team taking Silver, the U13 Girls team taking Silver, the Senior Mens team taking Silver and the Senior Womens team taking Gold. Full results can be found HERE

U11 Boys - 1200m - Ayrshire Cross Country Championships 2017

Position	Name	Time
1	Callum Peat	5:31
2=	Daniel Byers	5:34
7	Brady McLean	6:03
12	Daniel Frew	6:25
14	Sam McCrorie	6:48
15	Leo Brockie	6:48

U11 Girls - 1200m - Ayrshire Cross Country Championships 2017

Position	Name	Time
3	Anna Kirk	5:50

U13 Boys - 3000m - Ayrshire Cross Country Championships 2017

Position	Name	Time
2	Adam Currie	11:33
5	Connor Scobie	12:20
9	Calum Hannah	14:39

U13 Girls - 3000m - Ayrshire Cross Country Championships 2017

Position	Name	Time
3	Emma McMillan	No Time
4	Katie Murray	No Time
5	Sophie McColm	No Time
8	Jessica Donnelly	No Time

U15 Boys - 4200m - Ayrshire Cross Country Championships 2017

Position	Name	Time
4	Blair Gemmell	20:06

U15 Girls - 4200m - Ayrshire Cross Country Championships 2017

Position	Name	Time
3	Evie Mackay	20:57

U17 Men - 6000m - Ayrshire Cross Country Championships 2017

Position	Name	Time
1	Declan McGhee	23:00

Senior Men - 9000m - Ayrshire Cross Country Championships 2017

Position	Name	Time
2	Kenneth Neill	33:27
5	Grahame Hopper	35:07
17	Ian Young	38:33
21	Iain Pettigrew	40:53
24	Tim Downie	41:29
26	Stuart McColm	45:27
30	Andrew Crichton	47:07

Senior Women - 9000m - Ayrshire Cross Country Championships 2017

Position	Name	Time
1	Laura Wallace	38:18
3	Gillian Hannah	45:08
4	Ruth Kirk	45:39
10	Abby Cunningham	54:28

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Scottish National Short Course XC Championships – Kirkcaldy – Saturday 11 November 2017

This years National Short Course Cross Country Championships took place on Saturday 11 November at a new venue at Kirkcaldy High School. As the title suggests these races are run over a shorter than normal cross country course with the U15 age groups taking on a 2000m course, the U17 running over a 3000m course and the U20/Seniors a 4000m course.

there were only a handful of Seaforth athletes who made the trip this year and the performance of the day was undoubtedly that of U15 Girl Rosie Davidson who took an impressive 3rd place despite not being at 100% to run.

Results for Seaforth athletes were:-

U15 Girls – 3rd place Rosie Davidson 7:01 ; 41st Morven Hubbard 7:58

U15 Boys – 57th place Alex Crooks 7:08

U17 Men – 28th place Scott Sprang 9:52 ; 38th Declan McGhee 10:01

Senior Women – 71st place Susie Hubbard 16:30

U20/Senior Men – 95th place(31st U20) Lewis Ross 13:40 ; 298th (28th M45) Alasdair Meldrum 16:26

Scottish National Cross Country Relay Championships – Saturday 28 October 2017

Last Saturday saw this year’s National Cross Country Relay Championships take place at its usual venue in Cumbernauld. While conditions underfoot were slightly firmer than usual the course with its undulating terrain still proved a very difficult test for the 2600 athletes who had entered. This is a team event with junior teams consisting of 3 athletes who each run over a 2500m course, teams are made up of an u13 who hands over to either another u13 or u15 who in turn hand over to either an u15 or u17. The Senior Women’s teams have 4 runners over a 4000m course with the Senior Men also having 4 athletes over a 4000m course.

First up on the day was the Young Females where Seaforth had a commendable 12^th place finish with the team of Islay Hubbard (u13), Rosie Davidson (u15) and Charlotte McDowall (u17). The B Team of Claire McLaughlin (u13), Morven Hubbard (u15) and Evie Mackay (u15) finished in 30^th place while the final complete Seaforth team of Emma McMillan (u13), Bethany Alexander (u15) and Isla Kirk (u150 were 62^nd. The D Team consisted of a solo runner who was u13 athlete Tess Crooks.

This was followed by the Young Males where the Seaforth A Team of Adam Currie (u13), Alex Crooks (u15) and Declan McGhee (u17) were 23^rd, the B Team of Conor Scobie (u13), Euan Bell (u15) and Scott Sprang (u17) were 42^nd followed by the C Team of Calum Hannah (u13), Blair Gemmell (u15) and Logan Cotter (u17) in 75^th place.

With no Senior Female teams being fielded it was the Senior Males who completed the days participation for Seaforth. A massive 88 complete teams finished the race with the Seaforth team of Kenny Neill, Stephen McCrorie, Brian Robinson and Grahame Hopper taking 36^th place.

Scottish National Cross Country Championships – Saturday 25 February 2017 – Callendar Park,Falkirk

This years Scottish National Cross Country Championships took place yesterday at an incredibly muddy Callendar Park in Falkirk. Heavy overnight rain had saturated the course making it a true test of cross country running with the course holding so much water that the venue owners actually considered cancelling the Championships on the morning of the event. Fortunately they agreed to a move of both the start and finish areas which allowed it to take place.The area immediately in front of Callendar House where the finish area is usually positioned was flooded with about a foot of water lying which made for a makeshift bathing area for athletes washing themselves down after racing.This year saw yet another record amount of entries with no fewer than 2330 entered. Performance of the day for Seaforth was the 5th place finish of Morven Hubbard in the U13 girls which was closely followed by U15 girl Rosie Davidson who came home in 7th place.

The Senior Men had once again the opportunity to compete against Olympian Callum Hawkins who set out his stall early in the race and claimed his second National title.

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Results of all Seaforth athletes can be found in the tables below.

U13 Girls - Scottish National XC 2017 - 3.2km

Position	Name	Time
5th	Morven Hubbard	12:17
37th	Islay Hubbard	13:30

U15 Girls - Scottish National XC 2017 - 4.2km

Position	Name	Time
7th	Rosie Davidson	14:40
32nd	Emma Frew	16:08
47th	Isla Kirk	16:39

U13 Boys - Scottish National XC 2017 - 3.2km

Position	Name	Time
17th	Alex Crooks	11:55
56th	Euan Bell	12:45
57th	Sam Drummond	12:45

U15 Boys - Scottish National XC 2017 - 4.2km

Position	Name	Time
59th	Logan Cotter	15:03
DNF	Greig Oakley	N/T

U17 Men - Scottish National XC 2017 - 5.9km

Position	Name	Time
13th	Lewis Ross	23:22
43rd	Declan McGhee	24:35
64th	Aidan Copland	26:03

U20 Men - Scottish National XC 2017 - 7.6km

Position	Name	Time
30th	Fraser Stirling	29:12

Senior Men - Scottish National XC 2017 - 10km

Position	Name	Time
96th	Kenneth Neill	40:34
381st	Laurence Baker	48:11
403rd	Alasdair Meldrum	48:57
558th	Iain Pettigrew	55:04
589th	Peter Laing	57:08
593rd	Stuart McColm	57:23

Inter District Cross Country – Edinburgh – Saturday 7 January 2017

This years Inter District Cross Country Championships took place at Holyrood Park, Edinburgh on Saturday with 6 Ayr Seaforth athletes included to represent Team West.

In the U13 Girls race Morven Hubbard covered the 3km course in a time of 12:01 to finish in 10th place which was enough for her and her team to take Team Gold.

The U13 Boys race saw Alex Crooks finish in 25th(11:37) and Euan Bell 38th(12:03) over the same 3km course.

In the U15 Girls it was the turn of Rosie Davidson who had the best Seaforth run of the day for 6th place(15:11) over a 4km course which also saw her take home a Team Gold medal as well.

Not to be outdone Lewis Ross who was competing in the U17 Mens race came home in 14th(22:17) over a 6km course with his team also taking Team Gold.

The Senior Womens race saw Laura Wallace finish in 30th place over the same 6km course in a time of 24:40.

After the Inter District Races the athletes were able to watch some of the worlds elite runners competing with the likes of Mo Farah & Callum Hawkins contesting the 8km International race which saw Hawkins lose out on the line to American athlete Leonard Korir.

West District Cross Country Championships – Mosshill, Ayr – Sunday 4 December 2016

Sunday saw this years West District Cross Country Championships take place at the site of the old Digital factory at Mosshill, Ayr as it was hosted by Ayr Seaforth. This was the first time Seaforth had hosted such an event and the club are very grateful to have been given the opportunity to host such a prestigious event on our home turf. Indeed it would not have been possible without the assistance of Centaur Properties who operate the facility and gave their kind permission to use the land as well as the Aberlour Child Care Trust who allowed the use of their premises for changing and administration purposes. A mention of gratitude must also go to South Ayrshire Council for their assistance in particular the staff at Dam Park Stadium.

A very tough course was designed for the event which proved a real test for all age groups as it should at a major Championship. Conditions on the day initially seemed firm underfoot but as the glorious sunshine broke through the early morning frost several parts of the course became quite soft which when mixed with the long undulating slopes made for a real test of fitness and determination.

A total of just short of 800 competitors took part and once again there were some notable performances amongst the junior athletes from Seaforth.

First up were the U13Girls followed by the U13 Boys who each ran over a 3200m course. In the girls it was Morven Hubbard who led the way coming home in 6th position with a time of 12:38 followed by Tess Crooks (28th) 13:50 while in the boys race first Seaforth athlete home was the brother of Tess, Alex Crooks (7th) 11:53 who was followed by Euan Bell (16th) 12:37 and Sam Drummond (36th) 13:23 with the boys team coming 4th in the team competition.

The U15 Girls and then U15 Boys were next covering a 4000m course. In the girls race the best Seaforth finish of the day went to Rosie Davidson (5th) who covered the course in a time of 15:59 with team mates Isla Kirk (22nd) 17:27 & Charlotte McDowall (46th) 19:03 taking 5th team place. The boys race saw Scott Sprang (15th) 15:39 , Logan Cotter (22nd) 16:08 & Patrick Smiley (47th) 17:34 take the team 7th place.

The U17 & U20 Women then ran together over a 5000m course with sole Seaforth U17 athlete Caitlin Chilton take 20th place in a time of 28:41.

The Senior Women were next in a race that covered a distance of 6400m. Laura Wallace led the way with a 9th place finish in 27:45 followed by Ruth Kirk (73rd) 34:53 & Abby Cunningham (114th) 41:11.

The U17 & U20 Men set off together although the former had 6400m to cover while the latter had 8000m. The U17 race saw Lewis Ross lead the way in 19th (25:33) with Declan McGhee (25th) 26:40 and Aidan Copland (27th) 27:09 close behind. In the U20 Mens race sole Seaforth entrant Fraser Stirling finished in a very creditable 7th place with a time of 28:43.

As is usual the final race of the day was the Senior Men who had a 10,000m 4 lap race ahead of them. Several Seaforth athletes were involved in this race with Kenny Neill (36th) 39:24 the first home in a massive field of 251 runners. Other Seaforth positions were Craig Brown (164th) 47:21, Iain Pettigrew (185th) 49:07, Ian Young (191st) 49:38, Andy Crichton (197th) 50:18, Peter Laing (215th) 52:47, John Hannah (217th) 53:11, Stuart McColm (227th) 54:23 and Tim Downie (233rd) 55:36.

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