The UK Athletics Cross Challenge rolled onto Glasgow for the third fixture of the series on Saturday 11 January, as athletes braced the cold conditions at the event which incorporated the Scottish Inter District Championships.

Lynn McKenna (coach: John Montgomery, club: Shettleston) stole a march on Morag Miller (Central) and Scout Adkin (Angela Mudge, Moorfoot) on the final lap to take home the senior women’s Cross Challenge win in commanding fashion. It marked a successful week for the Shettleston athlete who recorded a 3000m PB indoors last weekend at the Scottish Athletics Indoor 3000m Championships, before returning to the cross country terrain today.

On the first few laps, McKenna – who competed for GB & NI at the 2023 European Cross Country Championships in Brussels – sat in the pack and bided her time before making a burst in the final stages to convincingly take the women’s crown ahead of the experienced duo of Miller and Adkin, who rounded out the podium at a frozen Alexandra Park.

Following her impressive display, McKenna spoke to scottishathletics, saying, “I have run this course before and I knew the hills suit my strengths, so I knew if I was in the lead pack, I could see where I was after a lap or two. I felt quite strong, so I pushed it on, and no one stayed with me this time, so it paid off.

“I never take for granted who is in the race with me, and I give everyone the respect they deserve. These girls have loads of experience, so to get the win today is very special.

It was a second consecutive Scottish Cross Challenge fixture win for Jamie Crowe (Derek Easton, Central) as he was victorious in the senior men’s race to round out the programme of events in Glasgow.

Crowe – who won at the Challenge fixture in Renfrew last January – navigated the challenging course to get his first full set of Cross Challenge points of the series. The Central athlete was 11^th in Liverpool, and the Alexandra Park course suited him as he won the battle ahead of Aidan Thompson (Derek Easton, Central) and Cameron Allan to take the tape first.

Shortly after crossing the finish line, Crowe commented, “It was a really competitive race today on a course I have not run before. It had a bit of everything, up and downs, tight turns, snow and hard ground so it was good to get the win.

“In all cross country courses, there are bits that suit you and there are parts that don’t, but the tight corners up the top half suited me, with a low centre of gravity I could get around them quickly. The long downhill and long uphill probably didn’t suit me as much, but it had a bit of everything.”

In the combined U17 / U20 World Athletics women’s race, GB & NI international Zoe Gilbody (Sarah Benson) continued her excellent run of form to take the overall victory. After a third place in Cardiff and a fourth place in Liverpool, the Telford AC athlete showed her class following her 11^th place at the European Cross Country Championships last month, and her second place in an England vest last week at the Elgoibar meet in Spain.

Fourth in the race, and second U20, Hannah Kinane (Swansea) was next home with Anastasia Nilsson the third U20 across the line.

Isla McGowan (Ros Kelling, Banbury) has been another athlete in exceptional form during the cross country season and she was the first U17 athlete across the line in second place overall. She extended the gap from Zara Redmond (Sarah Dempsey, Kilbarchan) – the second U17 and third overall – throughout the race. Oliva Forrest (Paul Forrest, Brentwood Beagles) was the third U17 finisher in fifth place in the combined race.

Moorfoot’s Thomas Hilton began 2025 with the biggest win of his young career to date as he won the U17 / U20 World Athletics men’s race.

Hilton was nine second ahead of his nearest opponent at the end of the 8km course, beating his Nordic rival Erik Nederheim into second, with Joe Dixon (Morpeth) the third U20 across the line. Giffnock North’s Oliver MacDonald (Didley Walker, Giffnock North) – who competed for GB & NI at last year’s European U18 Championships over 3000m – was the fourth U20 and fifth in the race and takes the final Cross Challenge podium position in the U20 men’s race.

Andrew Baird (Ross Cairns, Ross County) improved upon a fifth place in Liverpool as he was the first U17 man home ahead of Daibhidh Kinnaird (Cambuslang) and Alasdair MacLean (Giffnock North).

After a second place in Cardiff to begin the 2024/25 Challenge, Madison Welby (City of Lisburn) triumphed in her second fixture at the season as she won the U15 girls race. Kara Gorman (Shireen Higgins, Windsor Slough Eton and Hounslow), winner in south Wales and Liverpool, was second on this occasion with Welby producing a fine display to take the honour. Gorman finished ahead of Scotland East’s Freya Brown (Lasswade) to extend her lead in the series overall with only two fixtures remaining in Leeds and Nottingham.

It was an all Scotland top three in the U15 boys race as Scotland North’s Billy Sutherland (Sophie Dunnett, Ross County) sealed his first ever Cross Challenge win. On the snow-covered course, he got the upperhand on Scotland’s East’s Luke Sedman (Falkirk Victoria Harriers) and Rory MacMillan (Falkirk Victoria Harriers) – who was eighth in Liverpool last November – who were close behind.

Madison Kindler (Paul Forrest, Brentwood Beagles) continued her impressive winning streak in Cross Challenge fixtures, taking her third first place in a row in the U13 girls race. After dominant wins in Cardiff and Liverpool, she had another convincing margin over her competitors. 18 seconds separated her and Emma Nicholson (Giffnock North) at the finish; the latter  involved in a close finish with Ellie Blackhurst (Peter Crook, Preston) and Millie Glass Park (Banchory Stonehaven) who were all separated by just two seconds.

In the U13 boys race, Tom Ibbs (Musselburgh) came out on top ahead of Alexander Wotherspoon (Law) in a battle of the Scottish athletes as East beat West. There wasn’t much in it as Ibbs pulled away to win by two seconds, while Albert Yates (Peter Crook, Preston) was not too distant as he captured third place.

The next fixture in the 2024/25 UK Athletics Cross Challenge takes place at Temple Newsam in Leeds on Saturday 8 February 2025, before the Final takes place in Wollaton Park in Nottingham on Saturday 8 March 2025.

Results: https://data.opentrack.run/en-gb/x/2025/GBR/saintdis/event/