ATHLETICS

Habbies aim for trophy joy at Falkirk

Habbies athletes are among a record field set to descend on the Lindsays National XC later this month.

Entry numbers for the 2019 have once again peaked, with fields for the 10 races at Falkirk set to be the largest overall for a quarter of a century.

The 26th instalment of the combined event sees the entry figure at a staggering 2,458 which out-strips the previous best.

The 2019 entry for Callendar Park has risen by 184 athletes on last year’s 2274 tally and is up by 659 since 2011 – when the tally was 1,799.

That’s a rise of 37 per cent having taken place in those eight years.

Derek Hawkins and Euan Gillham are among the Kilbarchan AAC runners competing in the senior mens event, while Elspeth Curren has been listed for the senior womens race alongside the likes of Christina Rankin and Jennifer Rooney.

The paced field has been hailed by scottishathletics chief executive Mark Munro, who is looking f o rward to another successful event.

He said: “We’re ecstatic about these entry numbers and must thank our clubs for their wonderful response.

“It’s a wonderful event and we’re seeing so many people just wanting to compete and be part of that now. We’ve been pushing the message ‘Competition – It’s What You Train For’ over the past three or four years and we’re getting athletes, coaches and clubs buying into that.

“Lindsays came on board as sponsors of the Cross Country Season some five years ago with a commitment to try and help us grow participation.

“Their support has enabled us to improve a couple of aspects, bringing in an initiative like the Lindsays Trophy, and helped us raise the profile of the Lindsays National XC in particular.”