National XC: entry deadline looms

Tuesday 27th January 2015

Callum Hawkins in cross country at Callander

Callum Hawkins wins the 2014 Senior Men’s title – photo by Bobby Gavin

Watch videos from 2014 National XC

The countdown is now very much on for the National XC – one of the biggest dates on the calendar for everyone with athletics in Scotland at heart.

It is the day the ‘family’ meets up together in Falkirk and mass participation meets elite endurance performance across the mud and hills of Callendar Park.

And the time is right now for athletes, coaches, clubs and parents to enter the National XC, which this year takes place on Sunday 22 February. Entries are closing next week on Monday 2 February – with clubs to send them by post to the scottishathletics office.

Enter the National XC

So please hurry and get those team-names submitted for the various age groups and races taking place at Falkirk, as all from U13 to Masters contest places and coveted medals.

With the backing of Cross Country Season sponsors Lindsays, we’ve had a huge response to events so far this winter with record numbers at the National Relays in Cumbernauld and the Short Course Champs at Bellahouston in November.

Two of the three Districts events also had record finisher numbers, with both the East event in Dundee and the West fixture in Linwood hugely popular.

Entry numbers at the National have topped the 1900 mark for the past three years and all at scottishathletics would love to see that trend continue – with the 2014 figure have been over 2000.

Driving numbers up is a key goal and will help demonstrate to wider audiences that there is a legacy impact in athletics in Scotland from the Commonwealth Games and the Olympics in 2012.

So once again we’re asking clubs particularly to maintain the great level of support of recent teams by again collating and submitting your entries for Callendar Park.

Video coverage supplied by VincoSport at the 2014 event at Falkirk proved a big hit with our public and we’re pleased with ‘viewing figures’ for the combined package (of 15 videos) from that which currently top 13,000.

At scottishathletics, we have a deliberate policy of seeking to maximise the promotion of our most significant events and come February 22 we will be looking to again supply video footage, great photography, website reporting and social media activity from the course.

That’s why it is great when the ‘family’ all contributes to what many people agree is a special atmosphere and mark Callendar Park on the 2015 calendar.

MAKE SURE YOU ARE NOT TOO LATE WITH YOUR ENTRIES. THANKS

Tags: Callendar Park, Lindsays Cross Country Season, National XC