Scots stand out in senior races, while U20 athletes Bird and Harris stake their claim for World Cross Country selection

Two Scottish athletes came to the fore as the latest round of the British Athletics Cross Challenge arrived north of the border for a packed day of action in the shadow of Scone Palace, on the outskirts of Perth.

For Megan Keith, it was a case of her continuing to build on the impressive off-road momentum she has been building in recent years, her senior women’s victory adding more honours to a winter which has already seen her win U23 silver at the recent European Cross Country Championships.

For Jamie Crowe, however, his commanding win in the senior men’s race was the latest step on the road to recovery after what has been a 10-month spell on the sidelines with injury.

The pair stood out in the final two events of a day where Cross Challenge points, Scottish Inter-District titles and even potentially places on the plane to Australia for next month’s World Cross Country Championships were up for grabs.

Keith is already a well-travelled athlete but admitted she would dearly love to be selected to compete for Great Britain in Bathurst. She also raced as if aiming to prove a point.

Though the rain stayed away until almost as soon as the races had finished, a testing course was still reduced to treacle by the time the senior events rolled around. This did little to halt Keith’s progress, however. Running for the Scottish Students team, she covered the 8km route in 28:58 to come home 14 seconds clear of West’s Fionnuala Ross, while World Mountain and Trail Running Championships medallist Scout Adkin was third in 29:16.

East of Scotland took the Inter-District team prize from the Scottish Students, with West landing bronze.

“I’ve been to a few cool countries in the last year and half, due to cross country!”

Megan Keith – Euro U23 XC silver medallist – on her win at the British Athletics Cross Challenge in Perth and the potential of a trip to Australia for the World XC Champs ??

?️ @euancrumley pic.twitter.com/fxs6J0I6oo

— AW (@AthleticsWeekly) January 14, 2023

This time last year, Crowe was still revelling in having made his first senior appearance for Great Britain at the European Cross in Dublin, considering his next moves after running the London Marathon the previous autumn and making his final preparations for winning the second Scottish National Cross Country title of his career.

Not long after that victory in Falkirk, however, fate stepped in and a stress fracture to his sacrum (a bone connected to the pelvis) brought his running career to a halt. The injury meant rest – a lot of it – and Crowe even quipped that his dog will be relieved to see him back running, given that the most he could do in terms of weight-bearing exercise was to take his canine chum for very regular walks.

His performance in Scone was far from pedestrian, however, as he clocked 24:55 to see off his East of Scotland team-mate and global mountain running medallist, Kristian Jones, who finished in 25:06. James Kingston of Tonbridge, who had made a lot of the early running with Crowe, was third in 25:11.

Not surprisingly, East took the Inter-District team title with the Scottish Students landing silver and West of Scotland bronze.

“I had big hopes of having a good summer but they came crashing down.”

Jamie Crowe on his convincing win at the British Athletics Cross Challenge in Perth ????????

He spent 10 months out with injury ?

?️ @euancrumley pic.twitter.com/KmDsVvMGcE

— AW (@AthleticsWeekly) January 14, 2023

Many of the U20 athletes were running with the World Cross Country in mind, given that the Great Britain selectors had announced that Scone would effectively be serving as a trial.

Euro Cross team gold medallist Ed Bird, winner of the Cross Challenge event in Cardiff, seized his chance and had clearly given his all over the 6km course to produce an excellent win in 18:56. It was certainly a well-travelled trio who made it on to the podium as the Poole AC man came home ahead of Windsor, Slough, Eton and Hounslow’s Sam Hodgson (19:09) and Taunton’s Joe Ponter (19:16).

“Each time I’ve taken a step back and it’s been a really big learning experience.”

Ed Bird topped the U20 podium at the British Athletics Cross Challenge in Perth ?

He now dreams of being on the plane to Bathurst for the World XC Champs ??

?️ @euancrumley pic.twitter.com/RXJm9MfIgc

— AW (@AthleticsWeekly) January 14, 2023

The women’s contest was a tighter affair but, after third and second-placed Cross Challenge finishes earlier this season, Megan Harris made it a first as the Chelmsford athlete crossed the line first in 21:47 just ahead of North of England’s Rebecca Flaherty (21:48) and Giffnock’s Hannah Riding (21:49).

The Inter-District U17 contests took place within those races, with Amy Teasdale taking the individual gold to lead West of Scotland to the team prize, while Reiss Marshall ran out men’s champion to help East team to the team honours.

“I just think of me when I was younger knowing where I’ve wanted to be and make it [that dream] true.”

Megan Harris on the feeling of finishing on top of the U20 podium at the British Athletics Cross Challenge in Perth ??

?️ @euancrumley pic.twitter.com/RN3xNhwGhs

— AW (@AthleticsWeekly) January 14, 2023

The U15 girls’ gold went to Zara Redmond of West, with East coming out on top in the team contest, while West were also able to celebrate the victory of Tristan Robin and the team title.

Cerys Wright of East won the opening race of the day, the U13 girls race, leading her team to gold, while Rhuairdh Laing took West to the top of the team podium.