350 Young Runners Brave the Elements for Belhaven Cross-Country

Running Should Be a ‘Lifelong Companion’ in Education, Nurturing Teamwork and Resilience

Belhaven Hill School in East Lothian has recently welcomed runners back for the 40^th annual Belhaven Cross-Country Championships.  Sponsored by East Lothian investment managers McInroy & Wood, this is the biggest cross-country competition in the annual junior and prep schools’ calendar.  

The event is organised and hosted by Belhaven Hill School, the boarding and day school for 4 to 13-year-olds.  Competitors run a course from the beautiful Seafield Pond at Belhaven Bay, overlooked by the school itself, out to the stunning John Muir Country Park and back.

However, after a late deluge of rain on top of our particularly wet winter this year, the run, which has its start close to Seafield Pond, had to be reimagined at the very last minute.

Belhaven Hill hosted eighteen participating schools from Scotland and the north of England. The popular annual event attracts a huge number of runners, with 348 pupils competing.  Schools entered four to six runners into each race for boys and girls, divided into age groups: Under 9s, Under 11s and Under 13s.  The routes, which run near the beach and through the woods, cover 2.5, 3.0 and 3.5 km respectively.

“This course is the most challenging on the Scottish junior and prep schools’ calendar and is the highlight of the cross-country season,” says Belhaven Hill School’s Noel Curry. Noel has run the competition since 2017 and been part of the organising team for a further eight years.   

The schools taking part included East Lothian schools The Compass and Belhaven Hill, Dunbar, West Barns, East Linton and Innerwick Primary schools, and Dunbar Grammar.  Teams from Edinburgh and further afield came from Longridge, Lathallan, Merchiston Castle, Fettes, Cargilfield, St George’s, Strathallan, St. Mary’s, Craigclowan, Ardvreck, and Edinburgh Academy. 

Team coaches cheered on the runners around a lake, over sand dunes and down woodland paths with the sea breeze in the air. Many stayed afterwards for tea and prize-giving at the start/finish with the beautiful bay behind them.

Medals were awarded to the top three runners in each race and trophies given to the winning team in each category, with four records falling.

Adventure and Challenge Should Be ‘A Lifelong Companion’ 

Olly Langton, Belhaven’s Headmaster, adds: “At Belhaven, we believe that school days should be filled with adventure, challenge and success, as well as teamwork and friendship. That’s why cross-country running is part of school life.

“Belhaven boys and girls run every week and train for the cross-country by running relays along our local beach at Belhaven Bay and through the woods in their Patrol (house) competitions. Many of our pupils manage the full 4.5-mile route from school to John Muir Country Park over stiles, bridges, beaches, woodland in all weathers.”

The fullness of life at school should teach teamwork and resilience, and sports play a vital role. That’s why the Belhaven Cross-Country Competition plays a key part in the school’s holistic educational philosophy, as captured in Belhaven’s new film, ‘A Lifelong Companion’.

Lots of Winners in the Belhaven Cross-Country

This year, the U-9 boys and U-13 girls ran simultaneously; Belhaven Hill School and Strathallan taking the team awards.  Tilly L. of St. Mary’s, perhaps the standout athlete of the day, won the U13 girls’ event in a record time.

The U-9 girls’ and U-13 boys’ races were up next, St. Mary’s and The Edinburgh Academy winning these, with Belhaven coming in fourth and second respectively of the fifteen teams. 

The final pair of races was the U-11s, won by St. Mary’s and Lathallan, with Belhaven in second position in both races. 

In a tight competition, Belhaven was the only school of the eighteen taking part which finished in the top four positions in every one of the six team races.

The Belhaven organisational staff left with satisfied that their 40^th annual Belhaven Cross-Country Championships, after heavy rain and a change to the start, continues to grow and is more successful than ever.

You can learn more about sports and cross-country running at Belhaven on their website.