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Juniors: Page 1
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| Introduction |
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Welcome to the Juniors section of the Scottish Hill Runners website where you can
find information on different issues of interest to Juniors either already involved
in hillrunning or looking to find out more.
If you are a Junior and have a general question on hillrunning in Scotland, please
contact Scottish Hill Runners.
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| What is Hill Running? |
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"Hill running" is basically running in hilly terrain, often in the more
beautiful parts of the countryside. It’s a fun sport, gets you fit and takes you
to some great places! Most races for juniors are simply to the top of a hill and
back down, usually by the same route. They almost always follow marked routes, but
it’s still a good idea to familiarise yourself with the route beforehand and take
along a map of the route as well.
There are hill races throughout the year, but the main season runs from May to September.
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| What kit do you need? |
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Well, for most races the same running kit you would have for a cross country race
will be fine. Your shoes should have good grip, and it may be worthwhile investing
in some specialist studded hill running shoes. You should also bring along waterproof
top and bottoms, a compass and a whistle (and something to carry them in, ideally
a "bum bag"), in case the race organiser asks you to carry some or all
of these, though normally you won’t have to.
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| Junior age limits |
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Many shorter races are suitable for juniors or have separate courses for juniors.
Its important to note that, for the benefit of juniors - and especially to protect
their growing bodies from undue stress – there is a UK Athletics Rule that specifies
the maximum length of course that juniors are permitted to race:
Under 12 – 3 km
Under 14 – 5 km
Under 16 – 7 km
Under 18 – 10 km
NB: Age groups are defined by the runner’s age on the day of the race.
In addition, there may be courses where the race organisers set more restrictive
age limits – for example where there is a lot of climb or rough terrain. These age
limits are stated in the Calendar where known, but you are always advised to check
with the race organiser before travelling.
"Fun Runs" are suitable for all ages, though usually any Under 8s must
be accompanied by an adult.
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| Race Categories |
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Hill races are divided into categories, to help you judge the difficulty involved:
Category A
(a) Should average not less than 50m of climb per km of distance.
(b) Should not have more than 20% of race distance on road.
Category B
(a) Should average not less than 25m of climb per km of distance.
(b) Should not have more than 30% of race distance on road.
Category C
(a) Should average not less than 20m of climb per km of distance.
(b) Should not have more than 40% of race distance on road.
In addition, there are Race Length Categories:
(a) Category S (short) race is 10 km or under in length (juniors can run most of
these)
(b) Category M (medium) race is over 10 km but less than 20 km (juniors cannot run
these unless they are over 18 on the day of the race and the race is insured by
SHR – see also age limits above)
(c) Category L (long) race is 20 km or over in length (juniors cannot run these
races)
As an example, the "Whangie Whizz" race is 6.8km long, with 240 metres
of climb and is therefore a category "BS".
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| Hill Races |
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Forthcoming hill races in which Juniors may participate are listed as follows. For
a complete listing, please visit the Calendar page.
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Races for Juniors
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Note: not all of these races are open to all age groups, and some may have separate
Junior races whilst others allow Juniors to enter the main race. Please check with
either the race organiser or SHR before you go along.
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| Junior Competitions |
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| National Junior Championship
Elidon Junior Races, 21 June 2025
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| Website & database update
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