March 13th, 2023

The Scottish Cross Country Championships at Falkirk were blessed this year with dry weather which made running conditions more favourable for the athletes apart from a few who revel in the glorious mud.  Cambuslang Harriers came away with 2 team bronze medals courtesy of the U17 men and the senior men and the senior women achieved their best finishing position ever taking 6th spot.

Lindsays XC Championships 2023
Copyright Bobby Gavin

The U17 quartet of Sam McCarthy, Finlay Robb, Chris Black and Zach Seenan packed tightly as a group with only 19 seconds between them which was sufficient to repeat the team bronze performance of 2019.   Jonathan Dow, Zack Haggerty and Gabriel Murphy offered the important back up.   The proud medalists were delighted with their success as were their parents, their coach Colin Stephen, the coaching staff, club officials and the large group of supporters present.

Lindsays XC Championships 2023
Copyright Bobby Gavin

The club was very well represented in the senior men’s event with 30 members recording times.  Gavin Smith in an excellent 11th place closely followed by international triathlete Grant Sheldon and elite marathon runner Fraser Stewart in 14th and 17th spots led new member Callum Tharme (24th), Mike Christoforou (33rd) and Kevan Harvey (34th) to the fiercely contested bronze medals.  Each club can have only one counting team but, if allowed to score, Cambuslang’s next 6 runners would have been 6th team.   Their 6 finishers – Kieran Cooper, Jamie MacKinnon, Chris McLew, Andrew Carey, M 40 Gordon Robertson and Stuart Gibson – occupied positions 38th to 92nd.  Colin Reilly just made the top 100 with Ruairidh MacGregor just outside in 108th place.  Club captain Richie Carr, Craig Jardine, former club captain M40 Iain Reid, newcomer Steven Fitzpatrick and Andrew Anderson were all inside the top 190 finishers.  M45 Kenny Campbell on the comeback trail after a prolonged injury narrowly missed out on a top 200 place by 6 seconds.  The next club runners to cross the line were Tom Adams in his first Scottish Cross Country Championship, M60 Stan MacKenzie, M45 Iain Nicholl who both shared the same time, new members Kevin Farmer and Callum Wright, club president M60 Des Dickson, M40 Chris Campbell, M55 Dan O’Connell, M50 Iain Crawford and M50 Chris Paton.  At U20 level Lewis Roddis and Theo Carter put in solid performances.

Lindsays XC Championships 2023
Copyright Bobby Gavin

Cambuslang also had a good turnout for the senior women’s race although Hannah Addison was unable to start due to illness.  Eve MacKinnon fresh from her 3K pb in Armagh ran positively from the gun and was rewarded with a superb 12th place finish.  The dry underfoot conditions suited Lesley Blackwood who confirmed her recent good form in 30th spot and, with valuable back up from W40 Kirsty O’Brien, Georgia Freeman-Mills in her first season with the club and W50 Jennifer Reid, the sextet secured a magnificent top 6 team finish.  Next home were W40 Kathleen McLachlan, Rachel Wardrope and prolific racer W65 Erica Christie.

There were encouraging Scottish Cross Country debuts from novice U13 athletes, Rory Barclay and Jack Gillon, who finished well up the field as did U15 Daibhidh Kinnaird who has had an excellent first season for the club and has been selected to represent Scotland at school level.  Euan Reid and Alistair McLachlan acquitted themselves well in their first year in the same age group as did 2nd year U15 Olivia McNicol.  Mollie Mae Scott represented the red and whites in the U17 ladies event.

The new club tent also made a welcome debut at the event and our thanks are due to the tent transporter Dan O’Connell and his team of helpers. 

As a club we wish to give as many children and young people as possible the opportunity to come along and enjoy the experience of running.  Our team of qualified coaches are happy to welcome them.  If anyone wishes to get in touch, please contact us on run@cambuslangharriers.org/Facebook/Twitter

DAVID COONEY