Hill runners impress at Home Internationals

Tuesday 17th June 2014

Scotland’s hill runners produced a superb set of results at the Senior Home Internationals in the Lake District on Sunday.

And now Scottish athletes will have a record representation in Team GB and NI for the European Championships later this summer.

Five of our athletes won automatic places for the event with a sixth, Megan Crawford, also hoping for a GB call-up to be confirmed later this week.

Scotland’s Senior Men won the Home International title with Robbie Simpson claiming victory in the race at Whinlatter and Andrew Douglas making it a 1-2 with a silver medal.

There was a similar story in the individual medals in the Junior Men’s race as Andrew Lawler won in emphatic fashion with Jacob Adkin following the Edinburgh AC teenager home in second place.

Those four males all win automatic places for France later this summer and Catriona Graves, too, will be selected following her second place finish in the Junior Women’s race.

In the men’s U23 age-group, Scots Lachlan Oates and Ross Campbell were first and third respectively while Megan Crawford was fourth in the Senior Women’s race and Scout Adkin won the Women’s U23 category. Scotland took second place in the team race at Senior Women’s level, as well.

So a quite remarkable set of results across a range of age-groups which left the scottishathletics Hill Running Event Coach Mentor, Malcolm Patterson, full of enthusiasm.

‘This is one of the highest totals of Scots ever in a European team and certainly the first time we’ve had two in the senior men’s team,’ said Malcolm.

‘I want to congratulate all the athletes on their performances and their coaches/mentors – for the five automatic selections that is namely John Bell, David Campbell, Gregor Nicholson, Martin Cox and Sophie Dunnett.

‘Collectively, the Hill Running Commission are to be commended for encouraging promising athletes to try hill running and working hard to get good turn-outs and impressive international performances.

‘Angela Mudge was team manager for the weekend and well done and thank you to her, also, for her efforts.’

Tags: Andrew Lawler, Catriona Graves, hill running, Robbie Simpson, Whinlatter