The Scottish National Short Course XC Champs took place at old Lanark Racecourse on Saturday and a few select juniors were in the starting stalls on what proved to be a perfect day for racing - mild, dry, only a slight breeze, and initially bright and sunny. The rain which was forecast for 2pm threatened to come early with some dark clouds gathering and a few spots causing the waterproofs to be looked out, but it came to nothing and at the end of the day the gazebo was thankfully packed away dry.
Pancake flat the course might have been but I have rarely seen so many breakfasts making a post-race re-appearance (thankfully none of our lot), I guess because no undulations meant no respite from the constant high tempo. It was just a relentless blast on a fast flat course which several Garmins showed to be a few hundred metres longer than advertised.
The Under15 Girls kicked things off over 2km withTilly Leathart, who is more accustomed to tetrathlons, the sole Moorfoot saddling up for this one. Given that the Scottish Equestrian Centre is located at the venue she must have felt very much at home thanks to the very horsey aroma which perfumed the air. Sensibly avoiding the cavalry charge from the gun and settling at the back of the 91-strong field, Tilly maintained a good steady pace and gradually improved her position, finishing strongly for 49th in a time of 7.38.
The Under17 Women raced over 3km and Charlotte Clare showed no signs of being bored to death by her coach's chat in the car on the way through and put in a sterling performance for 10th place in 11.50. She looked goosed in 12th with 400m to go but as ever, she still managed to dig deep to lift the pace and pick up another two places. Admirable indeed.
Beth Hobbs was a late call-off which pushed out the odds on the Moorfoot team being able to match last year's team silver, but Charlotte Morrison, 42nd in 13.32 and Eilidh Mooney 47th in 14.15, saw the Moorfoot girls finish fourth overall.
No more Moorfoot vests on show but Euan Hood raced for Lasswade in the combined Senior/U20 4km and had a very solid run to finish just outside the top 100 in a massive field of 470! A first-year U20, Euan's time of 13.28 ranked him 38th of the junior men.
Ahead of him in 71st was Lucas Cheskin in the Shettleston vest who I regret to admit sneaked past your writer unnoticed to finish in an excellent time of 12.54.
Ex-Moorfoot trained Ailsa Innes, who is now training in Glasgow with Laura Muir's coach Andy Young, had been floored with a bad cold in the lead up to the race and as a result hadn't trained for over a week, but she still ran very well to cross the line in 15.17 for 49th of 206, and 14th U20, just fading in the closing 400m as her illness took the edge off her finish.
Well done all.
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