More than a year after they won it, Giffnock North AC have finally got their hands on the 2020 Lindsays XC trophy.

Making space in the trophy cabinet seems to have become a bit of a habit for the Glasgow club. They also won the honour – awarded to the club with the largest number of finishers across all age groups at three key XC races during the Lindsays Cross Country season – in 2019, 2017 and 2016.

Getting dozens of runners to take on the challenge of XC seems to be a bit of a habit too.

In the last ‘'pre-Covid’ season (2018/19), the club wrestled the trophy from Garscube Harriers by fielding no fewer than 283 finishers at the three qualifying national championship XC events.  

Even in the troubled 2019/20 season 253 Giffnock North athletes turned out for the National XC relays, the National XC short course and the National XC – 70 more than runners-up Edinburgh AC (183), and 84 more than third-placed Fife AC (169).

The 2020 trophy was accepted at Giffnock North’s ‘home turf’ of Rouken Glen Park on behalf of all members by three of the club’s gold-medal winning youngsters: Craig Shennan (Falkirk 2020 U13 Boys Champion), Hannah Ryding (Falkirk 2020 U15 Girls Champion) and Reuben Macdonald (Falkirk 2020 U15 Boys Champion).

Dudley Walker, the club’s Senior Endurance Coach, said: ‘As a club, Giffnock North put a big effort into supporting the Lindsays Trophy, which does so much to encourage as many athletes as possible to compete – young, senior and veteran.’ 

‘The Lindsays Cross Country Season and these championship events are so important to that discipline, which we view as fundamental to distance running.

‘We send our thanks to Lindsays for their consistent, enduring, far-sighted support.

‘We are delighted to once again see our name on the trophy and we look forward to defending it through the 2021–22 winter and spring.’