Round up of the action at the Scottish National Cross Country Relay Championships at Cumbernauld

Central AC won the men s and women s Scottish cross country relay races for the third successive year at Cumbernauld on Saturday.

Andrew Butchart led Central home for victory with his team-mates triathlete Cameron Milne, GB international Scott McDonald and current Scottish Inter-District champion Alex Hendry,

Inverclyde had to settle for second with Callum Hawkins, who represented Scotland over 10,000m at the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games, taking a bronze with Kilbarchan. Butchart’s quickest leg of 12:20 over 4km in wet and windy conditions edged Hawkins’ time by three seconds.

That Kilbarchan team were remarkable podium occupants with Bobby Quinn turning 49 in December and in his 34th season in cross country joining Hawkins and two 17-year-old runners in under-20 athletes Euan Gillham and Gavin McArdle.

Central AC women also made it three years in a row as national cross country relay champions, with this year’s event the first to be held under the new sponsorship of the Scottish cross country season by law firm Lindsays.

Edinburgh Uni s GB international Rhona Auckland gave the students a big first leg lead against under-20 athlete Kathryn Gillespie but Central s Jennifer Emsley pulled back the deficit and anchor woman Morag MacLarty retained their title.

Edinburgh AC took second with Edinburgh Uni in third.

“I think Jenny was the one who closed the gap the most,” said MacLarty, second fastest behind Auckland on lap times – 14:25 to 14:45.

“I believe when she took it on we were maybe more than 60 seconds behind but it was only 20 when she handed to me. That s three in a row for Central and we re delighted with that.”

Laura Muir ran the second leg for Glasgow Uni as she did the previous year and the GB international plans to be at Bellahouston for the 4K.

In the junior races, with each team featuring under-13, under-15 and under-17 athletes, Giffnock North and Edinburgh AC celebrated success in the young females and young males races respectively. Kilbarchan AAC were silver medallists in both categories and Central third in the young females and Giffnock third in the young males.

Cambuslang picked up the men s vets title from Greenock Glenpark with Kirkintilloch Olympians taking bronze. Shettleston Harriers won the V50 men s crown, overhauling Cambuslang, with Edinburgh AC in third.

Central AC won the women s V50 category from Giffnock North and Kirkintilloch, with the women s V40 golds collected by Gala Harriers from Edinburgh AC and Kirkintilloch.

Footage provided by VincoSport for Scottish Athletics

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