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| Starting line up |
Gregor had been selected for the Scottish Cross Country Team in a four-way competition with England, Ireland and Wales. It has never been his best discipline, although he is very fast on hill running ascents. The event's hosting rotates around the four nations and it was the turn of Scotland in Tollcross Park, Glasgow. The day was perfect with an overnight frost and hooloovoo blue skies.
My walking friend Mark had stayed overnight on his way to Braemar to guide a couple of friends from the Lakes who were on a mission to climb the Munros. We had an early morning ascent of Lime Craig and a walk through the forest where there had been a lot of felling activity in recent weeks. It was the perfect start to the day and we were back home by 10:30 a.m. We were soon off again, Mark intended another walk on his way to Braemar. and I was off to Glasgow to watch the Cross Country International races. I arrived half an hour ahead of Gregor's race and met a couple of former colleagues from my days in Bellahouston Harriers, I had joined in 1985 after I had taken up running in 1983 and won a few prizes for a non-club runner but needed to train with others to achieve further improvement. I remembered Erica and Ian Burke from my time there. Erica had finished her race as part of the winning Scottish Women's over 65 team, she is a well-known figure in Scottish running.
The atmosphere was all that is best about sport, The course had been well set out, there were tents for all the teams, toilets and best of all a friendly supportive spirit that exuded from the volunteers who were managing the event, the supporters and the competitors. It was free of corporate sponsorship and all the better for that. It was Gregor's first vest running for Scotland and in a field of about 60, he was third and the first Scottish runner. For someone who started running seriously seven years ago, it was a remarkable achievement and he was given much credit by his team.
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| Logs galore on Lime Craig |
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A glimpse of the Campsies
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| The start |
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| Tollcross Park |
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| Not that cold for November |
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