East Sutherland Athletics Club athlete Ross Gollan wins every race he runs to be crowned North Cross Country League champion
ROSS Gollan was pleased to put in a dominant performance this season to win the North Cross Country League men’s title for the second time in his career.
The Edderton athlete dominated the competition, winning every race he competed in to regain the crown which he had previously won in 2020.
Gollan (28) who represents East Sutherland Athletics Club, won all four races he competed at Evanton, Peterhead, Nairn and Forres to claim the title with a maximum 400 points.
He pushed his younger brother Ruaridh Gollan, also a member of ESAC, into second place with 395 points with Ryan Mackay of Lochaber Athletics Club third with 393.
Gollan was delighted with how he performed in each of the races to be crowned North Cross Country League men’s champion for the second time.
He said: “It was good fun. There is a really strong contingent of male runners and female runners in the league this year.
“It was a case of making sure I always ran hard and made it a honest race with the other people racing.
“My brother and Ryan Mackay pushed me hard and as I coach both of them, it was an interesting experience racing two of my athletes.
Gollan is an accomplished international hill runner and has competed at world class events, including Trofeo Nasego in Italy last August.
He is also a two-time winner of the Highland Cross, a 50-mile cycling and running duathlon between Kintail and Beauly which he won in 2022 and 2023.
He says that his experience of competing on different terrains gave him an advantage in the North Cross Country League.
He said: “Overall, the North Cross Country League was a nice mixture of terrain which perhaps suited me a bit more than other runners who enjoy the flatter stuff.
“I think my hill running experience proved to be an advantage in the competition.
“Especially in the Evanton race, it is hilly, if you like hills the North League is definitely the cross country series to do.
“It is a good quality league, so to be able to go out and win each race then it is a good springboard to national and international cross country races.”
There was also success for East Sutherland Athletics Club who won the senior men’s team title for the first time. Gollan says there is really strong squad at the club at present.
He said: “I think that is the first time the club have claimed a senior title which is great. We have a really strong group and all the boys have come through the juniors.”
Gollan is now preparing for flat road racing, as he prepares for the Armagh 5k in Northern Ireland this weekend. He is also preparing to compete at NN CPC Loop in The Hague in the Netherlands on March 9.
He will then prepare to compete in hill running competition during the summer as he looks to achieve more success across a variety of running disciplines.
He said: “I’m sticking to the road which is rare for me, but hopefully that will set me up for a summer competing on the hills.
“There is a cross over between most types of running, if you can develop your speed on the road and cross country then that transfers nicely into hill running later in the season.
“The British Hill Running Championships are taking place in May and then I will look at events in Chile, China and Mexico which could be quite fun. I am also hoping to be selected for the Great Britain team for the World Mountain Running Championships.”
