Martin and Haggard-Kearney blow away competition at Flat ‘N Fast 6

Flat ‘N Fast 6 continued an impressive streak of unique men’s and women’s race winners, as Stirling University’s Ryan Martin and Warriors’ Emily Haggard-Kearney crossed the line first on a windy day at the West Lothian Cycle Circuit in Linlithgow.

It means there have been 12 winners from 12 races across the first six instalments of the series.

Irish international Haggard-Kearney triumphed after a brave effort from Edinburgh AC’s Nancy Scott, while Martin made a move to the front to beat Inverclyde AC’s Peter Bradshaw and Finlay Ross-Davie of Garscube Harriers.

Elite Men’s Race

The men’s field saw the return of former podium winners including Flat ‘N Fast 3 winner Andrew McGill of Cambuslang Harriers and Flat ‘N Fast 4 runner-up Bradshaw contending in a pack of a couple of dozen.

With a strong wind down the home straight, it took athletes pushing the pace to break down the pack. First, McGill took it from the front, but eventually succumbed to the elements, placing 15th at the end. On the fourth lap, he had dropped off with the likes of Under 20 athlete James Alexander of Garscube, Shettleston Harriers’ Jamie Burns and Flat ‘N Fast 5 runner-up Robbie Ferguson from Kilbarchan.

With a lap to go, the group was now done to just five: Ryan Martin, Aberdeen AAC’s Sean Chalmers, Finlay Ross-Davie, Peter Bradshaw and Harry Henriksen of University of Edinburgh Hares and Hounds, who had taken them through the bell.

But it was the other university vest that pushed it on. Martin pushed the pace on around the back section of the course, allowing himself a couple of seconds going into the first of the two straights. Bradshaw and Ross-Davie were in pursuit, with Chalmers close behind. All three of them had finished in the top four a year ago.

Creating that gap was pivotal for Martin, who kept the chasers out of his slipstream and took the tape in 14:10. Bradshaw would again finish second, this time in 14:13, just ahead of Ross-Davie who was given the same time. The Garscube Harrier made it onto the podium after two fourth place finishes, beating Chalmers on this occasion, who clocked a time of 14:15. Henriksen held onto fifth in 14:16.

The top 10 was completed by Dundee Hawkhill Harriers’ James Donald, East Sutherland’s Ross Gollan, Cambuslang’s Ryan Thomson, Robbie Ferguson and Western Tempo’s Peter Molloy. James Alexander would be the top Under 20 athlete in a new course best of 14:24 down in 14th.

Elite Women’s Race

On paper, Emily Haggard-Kearney was the clear favourite in the Elite Women’s race, having been ranked in the top 75 in the world over 5K in 2025. The Irish runner would expect to take the victory, assuming she could deal with some other major names on the line such as Nancy Scott and Springboard athlete, Meg Gadsby.

She took the pace on from the start, joined by Scott and Gadsby, as well as Isabel Holt of Blackburn Harriers, Kirsty Walker of Edinburgh AC and Lasswade’s Amy Frankland. By the end of Lap 2, Frankland had been dropped and the group was down to five, and by the midway stage, Haggard-Kearney and Scott had formed a gap of a couple of seconds over Gadsby, Walker and Holt.

It was a risky move for Scott, who chose to go with the pace of an athlete who had the potential to push on and leave her facing the wind alone, but the Edinburgh runner was the one pushing the pace, still leading marginally at the bell.

A true back-and-forth race, coming down the home straight it was Haggard-Kearney who would prevail, with the two being separated by 0.8 of a second. Scott took a well-deserved second place having challenged the visiting athlete. They respectively finished in 16:18 and 16:19.

Gadsby had gone alone during the fourth lap trying to get back in contact with the leaders. While this mission was unfruitful, she managed to drop Walker and finished in 16:25 to her opponent’s 16:31.

Millie Breese from Morpeth Harriers paced her race excellently, managing to pick off Holt by two seconds in 16:42 to complete the top five. Ceri Griffiths of the University of Edinburgh Hares and Hounds, Gala Harriers’ Isla Paterson, Amy Frankland and Isabel Manley of Cambridge & Coleridge AC completed the top 10. The top Under 20 athlete was Charlotte-Rose Burton in 17:23.

Junior 3K Race

With new age categories, young athletes had moved up to the more senior level of Under 16, with Under 14 and Under 12 races in the 3K this time.

One thing had not changed – the speed of Aberdeen AAC’s Millie Glass Park. Challenging the boys but coming short of the overall win at Flat ‘N Fast 5, she looked to win the overall race again.

It became a two-horse race between herself and Cambuslang Harriers’ Carlo Brown and after three laps of intense battling, it was Brown who took the win in a time of 10:00 to take the Under 14 Boys’ title. Glass Park would win the Under 14 Girls’ title by over 40 seconds in a time of 10:02.

Gregor Wright of Lasswade AC and Springburn Harriers’ Thomas Fraser-Moodie would finish second and third in 10:20 and 10:21 in a narrow race with Inverclyde AC’s Alexander James.

Harmeny AC’s Isobel Patterson and Coco Czekalowska of Aberdeen AAC won the Under 14 Girls’ silver and bronze medals in 10:45 and 10:58.

Maverick Souter of Inverness Harriers came away with the victory in the Under 12 Boys’ race in a time of 10:43, followed in by Teviotdale Harriers’ Struan Linton in 11:00 and Hamish Burnett of Montrose and District Athletics Club in 11:06.

Akira Nagda of Linlithgow AC, who has raced every Flat ‘N Fast since the junior introduction at #2, won the Under 12 Girls’ race in 12:32. Harmeny AC duo Francesca Queen and Ellera MacFarlane took silver and bronze after a close-fought battle in 12:45 and 12:47.

As a token of appreciation for their loyalty and support since the first Flat ‘N Fast race back in September 2023, six athletes – who had competed in all five Flat ‘N Fast races prior to #6 – were kitted out in On Running apparel as part of our Pro For a Day initiative. We extend our thanks and appreciation to Axel Horbach, Cameron Maguire, Kelly Baillie, Kenneth Hislop, Ross Noble and Sam Lesley for their support from day one.

A total of 40 runners ran under 15 minutes in challenging conditions as well as a record-breaking 129 under 16 minutes. A record number had also ran under 17 minutes (224), 18 minutes (325), 19 minutes (391) and 20 minutes (441).