Leaders of the pack
Dozens of the best young runners from across South Lanarkshire faced a gruelling course that took full advantage of Chatelherault’s hilly landscape as they met at the country park for the annual Primary School Cross Country Finals.
In the weeks leading up to the event, hundreds of young athletes in primary six and seven took part in local heats in the hope of winning a place in the finals of the South Lanarkshire Leisure and Culture’s Sport Development Team’s cross country championship.
The finalists, aged between nine and 11, took on a challenging course at Chatelherault.
The route, which included the steep incline directly in front of the hunting lodge, was designed to test not only the runners’ speed but also their endurance and race strategy.
Shona Girdwood, sports development officer for South Lanarkshire Leisure and Culture, said: “Following the heats, 160 young athletes, the top ten in each age group from all around South Lanarkshire, qualified for the finals.
“We planned the course to take full advantage of the topography at Chatelherault so the runners would need to plan their race carefully and ensure they did not use up all their energy in the opening stages.”
Gerry Campbell, general manager of South Lanarkshire Leisure and Culture, commented: “The Primary School Cross Country Championship finals is an opportunity for young athletes who excel at that event to challenge themselves against others at a similar level and is a great opportunity to support their sporting development.”
Results: Individual: P6 Girls, 1st Chloe Hill (Hamilton), 2nd Jennifer Martin (Hamilton), 3rd Lucy Murphy (East Kilbride).
P6 Boys: 1st Cooper Mcholm (Hamilton), 2nd Brodie Wright (Clydesdale), 3rd Michael Mckinley (East Kilbride).
P7 Girls: 1st Jessie Gilchrist (Clydesdale), 2nd Madison Murdoch (Hamilton), 3rd Leah Muirhead (East Kilbride).
P7 Boys: 1st George Mckenzie (East Kilbride), 2nd Sam Main (Hamilton), 3rd Fearghus Mcgregor (Cambuslang/rutherglen).
Team, P6 Girls: 1st Hamilton – Jennifer Martin, Erin Govan, Chloe Hill, Caterina Neill.
2nd East Kilbride – Lucy Murphy, Amy Calderwood, Lauren Brown, Holly Murdoch.
3rd Clydesdale – Fiona Currie, Lucy Stewart, Kira Davidson, Kaitlyn Clark. P6 Boys: 1st East Kilbride Michael Mckinley, Kai – Montague, Calum Charters, Aiden Malcolm.
2nd Hamilton – Zac Jeffcott, Cooper Mcholm, Andrew Williamson, Nathan White.
3rd Clydesdale – Ander Harrison, Brodie Wright, Billy White, Gabriel Mcauley.
P7 Girls:1st East Kilbride – Matilda Frew, Leah Muirhead, Honor Thompsett, Ella Comiskey.
2nd Clydesdale – Olivia Godfrey, Laila Mccrae, Jessie Gilchrist, Molly Kennedy.
3rd Hamilton – Chloe Gilfillan, Caitlin Foster, Madison Murdoch, Holly Hunter.
P7 Boys: 1st East Kilbride – Ryan Mclean, Zabi Komos, George Mackenzie, Lewis Wright Kerr.
2nd Hamilton – Sam Maine, Craig Cherry, Calum Strang, Dean Patterson.
3rd Clydesdale – Kevin Talbot, Angus Tennant, Sandy Barr, Corey Whiteford.