The inaugural Scottish Student Sport (SSS) Cyclocross Championships took place on Sunday 8th of November, hosted within the third round of the Scottish Cyclocross Series. The event hosts were East Kilbride Road Club, who had laid out a challenging course featuring off camber grass and mud, considerable climbs and slippery tracks.
A bumper entry of 15 students from institutions across Scotland took part, with the women the first race of the SSS Championships. Completing 5 laps of the course in just over 52 minutes, Louise Borthwick (Edinburgh University) was crowned the SSS female champion for 2015-16, with a result which saw her place within the top 10 of the overall female category. There was a battle for second place, with Margaret Normand (Edinburgh University) holding off a rapidly closing Corrie Osborne (University of St Andrews).
By the time the SSS Men’s Championship race was on the start line, the torrential race was dampening the course, but not the enthusiasm of the racers. Leading the race from start to finish, Harry Johnstone (Dundee University) took the victory and the SSS gold medal. Jamie Carcherie (Heriott Watt University) also completed six laps of the course to earn the silver medal. The battle for third was a lot closer, with two seconds separating James Merry (Edinburgh University) and Stephen Walker (Stirling University), going into the final lap. Over the final lap, James stretched out the advantage to round off the podium spots.
The SSS cycling series of events continues in the new year, with Championship events in Downhill, Cross County and Time Trial.
Full SSS Cyclocross Championship results can be found here.
The SSS League table can be found here.
More information on SSS Cycling can be found here.
