Looking up and ahead: Junior Hill Running Champs and Leagues 2025

Scottish Junior Hill Running Facebook page

Another busy season awaits our junior hill runners in 2025 with league competition, National Championships and International Opportunities all confirmed.

The scottishathletics Junior Championship 2025 will take place in the Eildon Hills near Melrose on 21 Jun and is open to members of scottishathletics.

The categories are U20 (born 2006-2008), U17 (born 2009-2010), U15 (born 2011-2012) and U13 (born 2013-2014) with separate male and female awards.

International opportunities in 2025 include:

[Scotland] 14 June, World Mountain Running U18 World Cup, Slovakia

[Scotland] 13 Sept, Junior Home International, Wales

[GB] 25-28 Sept, World Mountain Running Champs, Spain

The races which comprise the 2025 Junior League (U17/U15/U13) are: 

5 April: Dumyat, Stirling

27 April: Lomonds Hill Race, Falkland

10 May: Broughton Heights, Broughton (IYC U18 Trial)

7 June: Braemar Junior Games, Braemar

14 June: Cornalees Hill Race, Greenock

21 June: Eildon Junior Race*, Melrose

10 August: Cademuir Rollercoaster, Peebles (JHI trial)

27 Sept: Suidhe Hill Race*, Kincraig

2025 U20 League Races are:

29 March: Birnam Hill Race, Birnam

12 April: Screel Hill, Castle Douglas

7 May: Dumyat Hill Race, Stirling University

21 June: Eildon Hill Race, Melrose*

10 August: Cademuir Rollercoaster Peebles (JHI trial)

17 August: Whinlatter, Lake District (GB World Champs Trial)

4 Oct: Morven Hill, Aboyne*

* 10 bonus points awarded at these races.

NB: Please check the details of each individual event as to which race to compete in on the day as there may be multiple senior/junior races.

Points will be awarded to the first 18 individuals in each category for U20/U17/U15: 1st place 25 points, 2nd 20 points, 3rd 17 points, 4th 15 points, 5th 14 points, reducing at one point intervals down to 18th 1 point.

However, the SA junior championships (Eildons) and the final race of the season will be weighted, where runners will receive 10 bonus points.

The final league score comprises the athlete’s best 3 race scores, plus 2 points for each race completed. If overall points are tied after the final League race, points scored at SAL junior championship and the JHI trial race will be used to determine the winner of the age category. U13 athletes count towards finishing the league but do not score points during the league.

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New for 2025: Northern Junior Hill League

With encouragement from Scottish Athletics, Highland Hill Runners are initiating a new junior league aimed especially at younger, less experienced athletes in the Highlands, who may find that the travel distances to some of the main Scottish Athletics Junior Hill Running League races can be a bit challenging.

The first race of this new league is at Craig Dunain on 22^nd March.

The full list of North Junior Hill League:

22 March – Craig Dunain, Inverness

May/June (tbc) – Abriachan, Loch Ness

9 August – Strathpeffer Highland Games

16 August – Helmsdale Highland Games

27 September – Suidhe Hill, Kincraig

Keep up to date with news, results and photos of the junior hill season on the dedicated Facebook page

With thanks to Phil Mestecky

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Tags:
Junior Hill Champs, Junior Hill League