By Peter Jardine, Head of Communications
Every year the date for the Lindsays National XC always looms large on the calendar for clubs and athletes – and now the 2025 edition is almost upon us.
Callendar Park in Falkirk is the venue once again and it is hard not to regard Saturday as a family gathering.
It is a moment when history and the present collide with the National XC’s rich heritage stretching back almost 150 years while coveted medals for individuals and for teams are very much ‘in the moment’ podium experiences.
With 2207 names on start-lists the fields are once again worthy of the occasion with every year since Covid having now attracted over 2200 entrants.
Better still, the 2025 edition has no fewer than 100 Scottish clubs represented by at least one athlete – a quite brilliant demonstration of the reach and appeal across the length and breadth of Scotland.
Look around you on Saturday and there will be a myriad of colours as the different club vests merge amid an occasion which always generates a special atmosphere.
Ten races are scheduled with all age groups covered from the opening races for U13s through to the Senior Men and Non-Binary race at 2.40pm.
Please do study the course map and read the event information on our Event Section page.
Please note the course changes as explained in our story last weekend.
Why we’ve had to change course to protect the Antonine Wall
Lindsays Trophy headed for big finish at Falkirk
As well as the medal battles, there are a couple of other elements to Saturday.
The Lindsays Trophy reached a finale with finisher numbers assigned to each club (across three events over the season) to determine league finishing place.
There’s even promotion and relegation places at play across our three-tier structure.
It is also the conclusion of the Scottish Cross Country Grand Prix. Senior athletes have been competing for points and Falkirk will dictate who wins how much as we split £4000 of prize-money.
Jamie and Lynn lead Grand Prix
History lessons
Read the superb Road Running and Cross Country Commission for lots of detail about the National XC over the decades.
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Jamie Crowe and Scott Stirling battle for medals last year (photo by Bobby Gavin)
So, what about those medal battles at Senior level?
The Women’s race has 399 names on the start list and arguably looks very open in terms of the champion and indeed the podium.
We would expect to see an exciting contest with the following prominent: Scout Adkin, Morag Millar, Lynn McKenna, Nancy Scott, Kirsty Walker as well as Eve MacKinnon, Naomi Lang and Rosa Donaldson.
In terms of the team, it is well worth noting we have had four different winners in the past four editions:
2020: Fife AC; 2022: Edinburgh Uni Hare and Hounds; 2023: Shettleston Harriers; 2024: Edinburgh AC.
Those clubs could contend as well as Cambuslang and Carnethy.
Central AC are favourites once again for Senior Men golds as they look for a 14th successive victory here. The challenge should come from Shettleston, Cambuslang, Carnethy, Corstorphine and Inverclyde AC.
For the individual medals, Logan Rees looks like a man on a mission but defending champion Jamie Crowe has eyes on a possible fourth title (after winning his third last year).
Falkirk’s Scott Stirling would dearly love to win on his home patch and the likes of Ross Gollan, Peter Molloy, Aidan Thompson and Taha Ghafari could be in the mix for the medals.
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As usual, we asked for support from clubs to help ourselves – and host club Falkirk Victoria Harriers – deliver the National XC via offers to help as race marshals.
The response was terrific once again in a #SALtogether kind of way.
We are thus grateful to representatives of the following clubs for their support for Saturday’s races:
Cambuslang Harriers, Carnegie Harrers, Clydesdale Harriers, Corstorphine AAC, Dunblane Runners, Edinburgh AC, Fife AC, Ferranti AC, Giffnock North AC, Hunters Bog Trotters, Inverclyde AC, Kinross Road Runners, Lasswade AC, Linlithgow AAC, Lothian RC, Motherwell AC, Penicuik Harriers, Perth Road Runners, PH Racing Club, Springburn Harriers, Sri Chinmoy AC and Shettleston Harriers.
With thanks to Alex Jackson
Tags:
Cross Country GP, Falkirk, Lindsays Cross Country Season, Lindsays National XC, Lindsays Trophy
