Interestingly the leading women in each category had done enough to win before the last race (though minor places were up for grabs), however, all the male categories (except teams) went to the wire.

In the Senior Women’s Jill Stephen (HBT) retained her title with four wins out of four. Heather Anderson (Fife) held off Helen Fallas (Carnethy) to take second, but Heather then went one better in the Over 40s as she took that title from the evergreen Veronique Oldham (Cosmic) and Karen Lyons (Highland). The amazing Veronique Oldham retained her Over 50 title, which was the 10th Scottish title she has now won (six times at Over 40 and four at Over 50)! Like last year, Hilary Ritchie (Fife) was second, but this year, Alison Ridyard (HBT) took 3rd place. Jocelyn Scott (Fife) retained her Over 60 title – the sixth title she has won over the years - with Jane Oliver (Deeside) 2nd and Eliza Mclachlan(Fife) 3rd. There were no female Under 23 completers. In fact only once in the last five years has a female Under 23 finished the championship by doing the 3 races (our of 5) required. Not sure why so few young women take part as quite a few run for the University teams. Note that you have to be under 23 at each of the races you count.

After the shake-up at Meall a’Bhuachaille, James Espie (Deeside) came top of the five runners who could win the championship with a great second place on the day which took him to the top of the rankings and so was able to retain his title from 2018. A new face, Alasdair Campbell (Cambuslang) held on to 2nd just in front of John Yells (Lochaber). The Over 40s was another very close race, this time the leaders ended up tied on points and the category was decided on countback: resulting in another new face, Eliot Sedman (Carnethy) winning and “old timer” Jethro Lennox (Shettleston) second – Jethro has previously won the Senior Championship four times! Another Shettleston runner and a previous four times Over 40 winner, Kenny Richmond, was 3rd. A very “old timer” and an amazing athlete won the Over 50s. Stewart Whitlie took the award for the 8th time (and he has previously won the Senior Champs once and the Over 40s six times!!). It was a bit harder for Stewart this year (perhaps not unexpectedly) as new Over 50 Kenny Richmond won 3 races but couldn’t do a fourth to complete. As it was Bill Breckenridge (Shettleston) took second and Julian Warman (HBT) third. John Tullie (Teviotdale) retained the Over 60s title, but like all the male categories had a fight at the last race to do so. Peter Simpson (Carnegie) was the one who lost out and finished second, while Gordon Stewart (unattached) was third. The close result theme continued in the Over 70s and this time it was a tie, so joint first place was between defending champion Douglas Milligan (Solway) and Graham Arthur (Highland), with Iain Thomson (Strathearn Harriers) third. Alexander Chepelin (Carnethy) easily won the Under 23s with maximum points.

Now to the teams. Back in 1993 Lochaber won the Senior Men’s but since then only two clubs have won – Shettleston, 11 times, and Carnethy, 17 times, (some years it was a joint award, so the numbers don’t add up!) and it was Shettleston’s turn this year with a very strong performance. Carnethy took second place just in front of a strong Highland Hill Runners squad. The Over 40s team podium was exactly the same – Shettleston first, Carnethy second and Highland third, with again Shettleston taking maximum points.

Highland Hill Runners are definitely a fast improving club and this showed in the women as they took first place in the Senior Women and second place in the Over 40s Women. This is the first time they have made the top three in either of these. It was close, though, as in the Senior Women they got the same points as Westerlands and won on countback. Fife took third place in a similar way from Carnethy. However in the Over 40s, Fife easily took first place (for the 7th time in the 13 years of the contest) with Highland second as previously mentioned. Carnethy just pipped Deeside on countback to take third.

The final tables are here for men and here for women or can be accessed via the Championship menu to the right, where there are also all time lists.

Any queries to Andy Spenceley SHR Statistician