The above event takes place at Holyrood Park in Edinburgh as part of the Great Edinburgh International Cross Country event which includes some of the worlds top cross country runners. Last year saw one of the most exciting races I have seen at the event with Callum Hawkins giving the home crowd something to cheer about as he gave it everything to try and win the senior race, narrowly missing out in the final sprint to the line.
Lasswade have always had a number of athletes selected for the East of Scotland team in recent years and they have always performed well. This year is no exception with five athletes having been selected:
Ross Wolfenden (U13)
Harry Henriksen (U15)
Christian Graham (U17)
Magnus Tait (U17)
Sarah Tait (U17)
Why not make a day of it and come along and cheer on your team mates and also watch some top international athletes in action.
Congratulations to all of the athletes selected and good luck on the day!
The East District Cross Country Championships took place at a cold and frosty Deans in Livingston on Saturday 9 December with 24 athletes from Lasswade AC competing. The frost made the ground hard underfoot although still suitable for spikes.
The first race of the day was the under 13 girls with 4 girls from Lasswade competing. First Lasswade finisher was Olivia Meikle finishing just inside the top 30 in 29th, she was followed by team mates Amy McLaughlin 36th, Skye Foster 50th and Niamh Inglis 54th.
The under 13 boys were next off and Lasswade had 6 six boys in this race. First home for Lasswade was Ross Wolfenden in 14th, all of the other boys were tightly packed with Cameron Chambers 39th, Matthew Cartledge 40th, Alistair Scott 41st, Alasdair Brown 45th and Alec Miller 48th.
Cameron Chambers in U13 boys race
Flying the Lasswade flag for the under 15 girls was Abby McGlone who had probably her best run of the season so far to finish just outside the top 20 in 21st place.
The under 15 boys were in a similar position with Harry Henriksen ill, Cameron Dickson was the only Lasswade athlete finishing in 56th place in a close finish on the run in with an athlete from Corstorphine.
The under 17 and under 20 women ran together and we had 1 under 17 and 3 under 20 athletes competing. In the under 17 race Sarah Tait ran her best cross country race for sometime working her way through the field and looking stronger as the race progressed finishing in 5th place. In the under 20 race Lauren Dickson ran very well considering she was feeling unwell before the race. Lauren finished just outside the medals in 4th place, Ailsa Innes was next finisher in 11th with Niamh Shaw in 13th place. This meant the girls won 2nd team missing out on gold by only three points!
Lauren Dickson in U20 women’s race
In the under 17 and under 20 men we had four under 17 runners. Christian Graham who has been in great form so far this season was out in the lead early on in the race and had to contend with a dog chasing the runners and almost tripping him up on a number of occasions over the first mile of the course. Once again Christian ran very well to win the U17 race but showed his strength and speed by passing the leader of the U20 race, who had another small lap to run, on the run in to the U17 finish. Next finisher was Magnus Tait who has been struggling with a back injury but still managed a top 10 finish in 9th, he was followed by Euan Hood in 20th place and Daniel Kelly 33rd. The boys done well to win the silver team medal, like the U20 women just missing out on gold by only three points.
We had no senior men or women running, however we did have 1 lady in the masters race. Linden Nicholson finished 98th overall and 40th in the masters race.
In the mens masters we had 3 athletes with Andrew McGlone leading them home in 39th place followed by Scott Dickson 82nd and Dave Scott 83rd.
It was great to have Lasswade AC so well represented in these championships and athletes doing so well. The selections for the inter district have not been announced yet but based on the selection criteria I estimate that we could potentially have 8 athletes picked which is not too bad from 24.
Well done to everyone who competed and in particular to our medal winners both individual and team.
There was an interesting article in Athletics Weekly by GB international Bobby Clay who has been diagnosed with osteoporosis. This was as a result of overtraining and under-fuelling which has now caused her long term health issues.
This highlights the damage young athletes can do to their bodies by overtraining and not eating enough or correctly . I attach a link here to the article as we as coaches feel it is an important topic to highlight and would recommend it is read by coaches, parents and athletes.
The second of this winters East District League matches took place in a snow covered Alloa on Saturday 25 November. Although the conditions were cold and dry, the course soon became very muddy and slippy and only got worse as the day progressed.
The first race of the day was the under 11 girls and Lasswade AC fielded five athletes with Abbie Foster leading the team home finishing in an impressive 2nd place with Hannah Knipe 9th and Eloise Scott 20th. Team mates Sophie Birse and Amy Rutherford improved on their finishing positions from Stirling to finish 44th and 50th respectively. The girls finished the day off with being the winning U11 girls team!
The under 11 boys were next race to set off with four Lasswade AC athletes taking part. Andrew McWilliam was first Lasswade finisher in 11th place. Rory Stobie was next counter in 33rd with Harry Miller in 52nd and Max Stobie 84th.
There were five Lasswade athletes in the under 13 girls race. Olivia Meikle was first home in 17th place followed by Amy McLaughlin 39th, Skye Foster 57th, Rebekah Knipe 59th and Fiona Eades 62nd.
The under 13 boys were next to get underway and we had a magnificent seven boys in the field. First home for Lasswade was Ross Wolfenden finishing in 10th. He was followed home by team mates Cameron Chambers 47th, Matthew Cartledge 48th, Alex Miller 51st, Alistair Scott 64th, Jared Stobie 72nd and Alasdair Brown 74th.
In the under 15/17 girls we had two athletes with Sarah Tait (U17) having a good run and working her way through the field to be our first finisher in 9th place. Team mate Abby McGlone (U15) was next Lasswade athlete home in 36th.
Unfortunately we had no U15 boys running yesterday.
Next to set off were the under 17 men and we had three runners. Christian Graham running well so far this winter was once again the runaway winner, Euan Hood having a better run was in 15th with team mate Daniel Kelly in 29th.
We had no ladies competing yesterday.
In the last race of the day which was the senior men we had five Lasswade athletes competing and first home was Scott Thomson in a very respectable 13th , he was followed home by Jamie Darling (U20) in 73rd, Andrew McGlone 111th, Dave Scott 154th and Graham Knipe 176th.
Although cold and very muddy it was a great day of cross country running and really good to see so many athletes coming out to support the club. The number of Lasswade AC athletes competing was good although slightly down on the first match at Stirling. We still fielded 31 athletes but did have a few incomplete teams. Currently in the league the only teams placed are our U11 girls who are in 2nd position and U17 men who are 3rd so we need to make sure we have a good turnout for the last match in Broxburn in January.
There were quite a few improved performances so well done to everyone and thank you for your support.
Congratulations to Lasswade runner Linden Nicholson, who helped her age group team to a silver medal at last weekends British and Irish Masters International, in Derry. Great to see another Lasswade runner representing themselves and the club so well at National Level.
There were a number of success’, both individual and team, for Scotland on the day. Full results are available via the link:
The National short course cross country championships took place at Dunnikier Park next to Kirkcaldy High School last Saturday. The course was on an uphill start but after that it was fairly flat and open, the underfoot conditions were fairly good although there were a couple of patches that were a bit muddy. In terms of weather it doesn’t get much better for a winter cross country race.
There were a number of Lasswade AC athletes competing but first to go to the start line was Abby McGlone in the U15 girls. Abby ran very well to finish just outside the top 40 of the 81 finishers. Next it was the U15 boys and Harry Henriksen who got off to a bad start but worked his way through the field to finish 9th equal. A solid run over the short and flat course.
In the U17 womens race it was great to see Sarah Tait running over the country again with a positive run finishing in 17th place. The under 17 men’s race was the only race where we had a complete team with Christian Graham, Magnus Tait and Euan Hood. Christian who has been performing well so far this season had a great run to pick up the silver medal. Team mate Magnus Tait was not too far behind with a strong run to finish in 9th place with third counter Euan Hood putting in a solid run to finish 43rd. It was great to see that the boys picked up the silver medal for 2nd team.
Magnus, Euan and Christian with their Silver Team Medals!
In the ladies race Lauren Dickson had a solid run to finish 27th overall and 9th U20 with team mate Ailsa Innes 50th overall and 16th U20.
In the Mens race we had a few runners but not enough to make a team in any category. It was good to see Ross Matheson up from London with a solid run in 15th place, followed by Scott Thomson in 57th, Jamie Darling 161st overall and 42nd U20, Andrew McGlone 273rd and 10th in the masters age 50 category and Peter Ness 300th and 28th masters age 45 category.
Congratulations to everyone on their performances but in particular our medalists.
Updated results are now available for the first SAIL match. Please note individual results are final, however team placings have yet to be verified so there may be some changes.
The next match in the league will be on Saturday 6th January 2018.
After the strong performances throughout the teams in match one, we will be looking to get full teams out for the upcoming match. After the first three matches of the league the teams in the top three positions will all qualify for the finals.
Included below is a list of the athletes who achieved a graded performance at the first match. Congratulations to Michelle Blaikie for achieving a Grade 1 performance in the girls U15 High Jump.
Updated results now available via the link at the bottom of the article
Over 300 runners from around the country descended on Gorebridge at the weekend to take part in the 36th annual Lasswade AC Open Cross Country Meeting. An army of volunteers had arrived early to prepare the course and set up for what turned out to be an excellent days racing. With little rain the previous week, and a rare appearance by the sun, the course was well set up for runners and spectators alike.
First up on the day was the girls under 11 race. Taking in one lap of the course, and covering one mile it proved to be the closest race of the day. Over 50 girls lined up on the start line, but the course soon had them well spread. As the finish line came up 4 girls were left fighting it out for the top spot. Chloe Hill of Larkhill Harriers had just enough to take first in a time of 6m 25s. Just a second behind the winner, and seperated by less than a second was the trio of Carys Gibb, Adele Street and Lasswade AC runner Abbie Foster. Not far behind Abbie was fellow Lasswade runner Hannah Harley, finishing in a time of 6m 32s. A good turnout by Lasswade runners also included fine performances from Eloise Scott, Sophie Birse, Sophie Winters, Amy Rutherford and Matilde Buxton. In the team race, based on the top 3 performances of each team, Pitreavie came out just ahead of Lasswade AC, with Moorfoot in 3rd.
The boys Under 11 race was next up, and had another strong field. First home was Giffnock North runner Craig Shennan, in a time of 6m 00s. Following him home was Haddington East runner Innes Wright, with Thomas Hilton, of Moorfoot, coming home third. After recent wins in the Midlothian Schools and East District Cross Country events , Lasswade runner, Andrew McWilliam put in another strong performance coming home in 8th spot. Next up for Lasswade was Shane Majekodunmi, with strong runs from Ewan Meldrum, Ben Harley, Rory Stobbie, Jude Anderson and Cian murray in their first outings for the club. The Team prize was taken by Moorfoot runners, followed by Giffnock North and Airdrie Harriers, with Lasswade in 5th.
The Under 13 girls were next up, with their race covering 2 laps of the track. Katie Johnson, of Edinburgh AC, was givien a stern test by Pitreavie runner Anya Morrison, before finally prevailing to take a 1 second victory. Third spot went to East Lothian runner Bridget Harley. First home for Lasswade was Olivia Meikle, with Amy Mclaughlin, Skye Foster and Sophie Edwards all coming home in good times behind. Team prize went to Pitreavie again, with Moorfoot and Lawfield and District behind. Another good showing by the Lasswade team saw them finishing 5th overall.
Harmeny runner took top spot in the Boys Under 13, 2 mile race, finishing in a time of 11m 38s. First Lasswade runner home was Ross Wolfenden in 5th. Good performances from Alec Miller, Alastair Scott and Alasdair Brown put the Lasswade boys into third spot in the team prize, behind Pitreavie and Moorfoot.
Top three in the Girls Under 15 race were Daisy Cumming of Dunfermline, Aimee Anderson of Airdrie and Corstorphine runner Georgia Ledingham. Abby McGlone was the lone Lasswade runner in the field, finishing strongly in 12th. Team prize went to Corstorphioine, followed by Airdrie and Moorfoot. In the boys Under 15 race, Lasswade runner, Harry Henriksen once again proved far too strong for the rest of the field, romping home almost a minute ahead of the rest in a time of 17m26s. Law & District runner Donald Gilchrist’s second spot helped his team to the team prize for the Under 15 boys.
Cera Gemmell was dominant throughout in her race, taking top spot in the Under 17 women for Team East Lothian. In the same combined race Lauren Dickson, of Lasswade, took top spot in the Under 20s.. The senior womens race was won by Carnethy athlete Charlotte Morgan, with Lasswade runner Keira Murray running well to come home in second. First veteran runner home was Lisa McDonald, with Sue Ridley winner of the over 45s group. The Lasswade team of Keira Murray, Julia Cunningham and Ellen Kristoffersen took second spot behind Edinburgh AC.
In the mens Under 17s James Gillon and Lasswade Runner, Magnus Tait, spent much of the race side by side. Gillon proved to be too strong in the final lap though, taking the top spot for Law & District. Another Lasswade athlete, Euan Hood ran well in third, with team mate Daniel Kelly a few places further back in 6th. The trio of performances by the Lasswade runners was enough to take the team prize. Moray runner Cameron Main took top spot in the Mens under 20s, followed by Forbes Jackson of Cumbernauld.
The mens senior race was won by Grant Sheldon of Cambuslang Harriers, followed by Cameron Richardson of Cumbernauld. First Veteren was HBT runner Dave Wright, with Portobello’s Jake Harper first in the over 50s. Senior team prize went to HBT, with the Lasswade team of Jamie Darling, Martin Gore and Andrew McGlone coming second. Peter Ness and David Scott completed a strong turn out from the Lasswade team on the day.
Please note we are still running down a couple of results that may need to be added to the final results. We will get this done ASAP. In the meantime apologies for any omissions, and please get in touch if you are missing a result from the current list.
The National XC Relays took place last weekend with two Lasswade AC young male teams, one masters team and an incomplete senior men’s team competing.
The young male athletes had done well in recent years finishing just outside the medals in 4th and 5th place over the last two years. First off for us this year in the young males was U13’s Dexter Howard and Cameron Chambers who both ran well over a challenging course in windy conditions with Dexter first home in 43rd place and Cameron not too far behind in 61st place.
Dexter handed over to Harry Henriksen (U15) who produced one of the outstanding performances of the day to bring us into the top 10 handing over to Christian Graham (U17) in 9th place. In our second team we did not have another U15 runner, however Alec Miller (U13) stepped up to the plate and had a strong run handing over to final leg runner Magnus Tait in 74th place.
Christian who has been running very well in races so far this winter now set to the task of pulling back a few more places. It was another fine performance by Christian bringing the team up to 6th place, once again just a few places outside the medals. In terms of times we were less than a minute behind the winners and only 36 seconds behind the runners up! Magnus Tait (U17) in his first race of this winter season put in a strong run to bring the team home in 54th with his individual time just outside the top 10 fastest of the day for U17 boys. Well done to all the boys.
In the men’s event we had one complete masters team and unfortunately due to injury an incomplete men’s team. The masters team of Andrew McGlone, Peter Ness, Scott Dickson and Graham Knipe acquitted themselves well with the team finishing in 16th place. It was nice to have a separate masters team and see how they finished in that category.
All of the runners in the incomplete men’s team ran very well, it was just a pity we did not have a final leg runner. Scott Thomson ran a strong first leg to keep us inside the top 30 in 27th place. Martin Gore and Jamie Darling both had good runs and we were 30th at the end of stage 3.
Congratulations to everyone on their own individual performances and thanks for representing the club so well.
