National Junior Cross Country Championships

Under the auspises of the Scottish Harriers Union a separate Scottish Cross Country Championship was held at Ibrox Park on 21^st, December 1889.

The following season the Scottish Harriers Union and the Scottish Cross Country Association put aside their differences and amalgamated to form the Scottish Cross Country Union. The new Union's first Junior Championship was held at the Hawkhill Grounds in Leith on 7^th, February 1891 as a separate race from the Senior Championships. It was open to any athlete who had never taken part in a Senior championship race organised by the SCCA, SHU or the English CCU. Members of the first 3 teams automatically became ineligible to compete as Juniors.

From 1889 to 1901-2 the Junior championship incorporated an individual and team race.

From 1903-4 to 1948-9, the team race was dropped and the Individual Junior Championship awarded to the first Junior in the Senior race.

After the first World War, and with similar aims of the Junior Championship, a Novice Championships was established, with individual and team race from 1919-20 to 1948-9. Only Juniors were allowed to compete in the Novice Championships.

The rules for defining Juniors were somewhat interesting and defined as someone who had never won honours in Cross Country running in any age group. To start with every athlete was a Junior and automatically changed to a Senior if

1 They had represented their country

2 They were counting members of the 1st two teams in the National Junior/Novice championship

3 They were in the 1st three places of the National Junior/Novice championship

4 They were winners of the District Championships/Novice championship

5 They were counting members of the winning team in the District Championships/Novice championship

District Championships and District relays were races limited to Juniors and the National restricted to Seniors.

In season 1949-50 a Junior was defined as 18-21 and the new separate Championship introduced.