Fife AC among the medals on home Kirkcaldy soil

There was a successful day for Fife AC at the Scottish Short Course Cross Country Championships in Kirkcaldy, with runners battling the muddy conditions to win three individual and three team medals on home turf.
Anna Hedley takes first place at the Scottish Short Course Cross Country Championships in Kirkcaldy.Anna Hedley takes first place at the Scottish Short Course Cross Country Championships in Kirkcaldy.
Anna Hedley takes first place at the Scottish Short Course Cross Country Championships in Kirkcaldy.

Fife AC’s U15 girls got the club off to a great start in the first race of the day, with Isla Thoms in fourth in 7.06, Isla Hedley in ninth in 7.18 and Ruby Russel in 10th in 7.19.

With three runners in the top 10, they comfortably won team gold ahead of Edinburgh AC and Aberdeen AAC.

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Struan Bennett ran well to place fifth in 6.26 in the U15 boys’ race, just eight seconds off bronze and 10 seconds off gold.

Jenny Selman (l) and Annabel Simpson (centre) on the podium at the same event.Jenny Selman (l) and Annabel Simpson (centre) on the podium at the same event.
Jenny Selman (l) and Annabel Simpson (centre) on the podium at the same event.

Anna Hedley added another gold medal to her growing collection, winning the U17 girls’ race by a comfortable margin in 10.15 from Julia Cash of Giffnock North AC and Hannah Anderson of East Kilbride AC.

With Hayley Brown in 30th in 11.30 and Jaden Lenny in 39th in 12.09, the girls won team bronze.

In the U15 boys race, Ben Sandilands placed fifth while Michael Sanderson placed 20th.

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In the senior women’s race, there was a 1-2 for the club with Annabel Simpson and Jenny Selman taking the top two spots.

Annabel, fresh from her 33.20 10k PB at the Leeds Abbey Dash, was in the leading group of three for much of the race and took the gold medal in 13.58 while Jenny finished strongly from behind to take the silver medal in 14.04.

With Jen Spence in 30th in 15.25 and Laura Gibson in 43rd in 15.40, Fife AC took team silver behind Edinburgh University Hares and Hounds.

“It is good to win a national cross country title,” said Annabel.

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“I really wanted to do well for the club today because a couple of weeks ago I missed Cumbernauld and went to Leeds for the Abbey Dash 10k.

“I knew Jenny was running well so we’re delighted with a 1-2 and silver medals for the team.”

There were also good runs from Jen Cruickshanks in 45th, Rhona Van Rensburg in 66th, Amie Watt in 67th, Michaela Maclean in 90th, Katie Jones in 113th, Mary Western in 118th and Kerry Gibson in 126th.

Lewis Rodgers enjoyed one of his best ever runs in an incredibly strong senior men’s field won by Olympic and World Championships finalist Andrew Butchart of Stirling-based Central AC.

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He placed an excellent 11th in 12.20. In the same race, there were good runs from Iain McWhinnie in 65th, Alistair Gudgin in 72nd, Gavin McWhinnie in 87th, Craig Morris in 92nd and Russell Hall in 94th.

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