Universities challenged

STUDENTS TURN OUT IN FORCE AS MØLLER AND MAHAMED DOMINATE THE BUCS BATTLES STAGED AT HOLYROOD PARK VENUE

- EUAN CRUMLEY

EDINBURGH’S Holyrood Park is a place synonymous with cross country achievement, what with it having been host to the world championships in 2008 and, until recently, the venue for the annual Great Edinburgh Cross Country International.

Another chapter in that rich history was written when the BUCS championships returned to Scotland for the first time since 2014.

Boosted by the inclusion of a fourth event to the programme - the women’s short race was added to the established format of a men’s short race plus the women’s and men’s longer ‘A’ races - almost 1700 athletes competed in the shadow of Arthur’s Seat in the Scottish capital.

Given the renowned stage, however, it was perhaps no surprise that those with extensive international experience ultimately stood out in what were cold and very windy conditions.

St Mary’s student Anna Emilie Møller dominated the women’s long race, while Solent’s Mahamed Mahamed did likewise in the men’s equivalent.

Joe Wigfield was another St Mary’s winner in the men’s short race while Grace Carson of Loughborough was the first victor of the day, in the women’s 6km contest.

Loughborough took three of the four-team titles on offer, with St Mary’s thwarting their ambitions of a clean sweep by taking the men’s long race honours. These model students definitely get pass marks.

Men’s long race

Mahamed Mahamed ran like a man who didn’t want to waste any time. Realising he had badly ripped his left shoe not long after the starting gun had fired, the Solent University athlete wasn’t entirely sure if, or for how long, his chosen tools for the day would hold out.