About Us
Who We Are
The Cosmics Hillbashers are a running club with members living in and around Aberdeen who run over hills! Many members compete in hill races, from the short local trail and hill run to long-distance and ultra races, whilst others just come along to enjoy the social aspect of running in our stunning countryside. Many members participate in other sports and use running for their general fitness training. The club welcomes new members at all levels of ability, though it is worth remembering that hill running can be more challenging than flat-running!
Ewen Rennie and Elaine Murdoch are the club coaches and organise Tuesday and Thursday training sessions - see Runs.
The club is affiliated to Scottish Athletics and the Scottish Hill Runners Association and is run by the Cosmic Committee which is elected at the AGM.
Some Cosmic Hillbashers members
What Do We Do
The club trains on Tuesday and Thursday evenings in Aberdeen and within an hour's drive of Aberdeen, at various hill locations on Sunday mornings. Details of runs can be found on our online calendar. Club members are notified of locations by Spond. If you're not familiar with hill running, read about it on Scottish Hill Runners.
Club History
Cosmic Hillbashers Hill Running Club was formed in 1992 to answer the call for a local club dedicated to running and competing on the hills.
A small number of hill enthusiasts soon attracted wider interest allowing membership to grow rapidly. Two new races were organised by the club and were well supported. Clachnaben and Morven Hill Races were instantly popular, both receiving early recognition as Scottish Championship counters. Many more events have since been added to the Cosmic race calendar.
As well as fielding high-quality runners in competitions both at home and abroad, Cosmics gained an enviable reputation for a busy social calendar. This friendly atmosphere is still strongly supported by members today.
2023-24 Committee
- Rod Campbell (Welfare Officer)
- Gillian Clunas (Runs co-ordinator)
- Alan Cormack (Club kit)
- Graeme Cumming (Treasurer)
- Annaelle Harris (Social media)
- Richard Lang (Committee member)
- Elaine Murdoch (Chair)
- Linda Smith (Membership)
- David Taylor (Secretary)
- Sue Taylor (Website)
- Jason Williamson (Teams Captain)
Run With Us
We welcome runners who enjoy off-road hill running. Our Tuesday and Thursday evening runs and Saturday/Sunday morning runs will take you to parts of Aberdeenshire you never knew existed. We have runners of all abilities and you will find someone of your pace. Come along and try running with us before you decide to join. You may get wet and muddy sometimes, but there will be a sense of achievement. Of course, there are also some social events at which you can have more time to get to know other club members.
Membership
If you can make it to one of our regular runs - please come and introduce yourself.
Membership secretary is Linda Smith. Membership (1 Jan - 31 Dec) should be paid using Entry Central
Membership fees for 2024 are;
Senior Racing (first claim club) (20+ as at 01/01/24) ~ membership fee is £20.00
Senior Racing (not first claim club and Social) (20+ as at 01/01/24) ~ membership fee is £16.00
Senior Social only (20+ as at 01/01/24) ~ membership fee is £13.00
Junior member (under 20 as at 01/01/24) ~ membership fee is £5.00
Unwaged or a student ~ membership fee is £5.00
Under 18's must be accompanied by a responsible guardian.
Members will also be invited to join the club email and Spond groups.
Membership Benefits
Sports Shoes - A 10% discount is offered to club members by www.sportsshoes.com/. The discount code is emailed to you monthly.
Club Championship - Members are eligible to compete for trophies in each age category in the Cosmic Championship.
London Marathon - The club is given a London Marathon place for which members can apply. A draw will be held for this place.
Cosmic Championship
Club members are eligible to compete in the Cosmic Championship with trophies for different age categories awarded at the AGM. Points are awarded for performance in each race. For 2024 the championship will be decided on the best 5 results out of a selection of races. The list is El-Brim-Ick, Potarch Night Race, Pressendye, June Krunce, Two Mamores, Ben Rinnes, Tap o’Noth, Cairn William, Morven, Bennachie. Dates and times as on the Scottish Hill Runners Calendar.
Summer Series
A series of 3 Thursday evening races is held from April - August on local hills. The Series is organised jointly by Cosmic Hillbashers and Deeside Runners. Points are awarded for each race and at the end of the series a trophy is awarded for the best overall performance in the male and female categories - best 3 races to count. 2024 races are Pressendye, Balmedie and Mither Tap. Individual race details can be found on our Races page.
2023 SUMMER SERIES
Individual race details can be found on our Races page.
Coaching
Sessions take place at a variety of venues - please get in contact for details or see the web calendar. Sessions are normally led by Ewen Rennie and / or Elaine Murdoch who send out details each week via Spond of what the training will be.
Kit
Cosmic Hillbashers Hoodies and Vests
Cosmics kit is available from Alan Cormack. New for 2022 is the Cosmic Beanie, priced at £10. Contact Alan for more information kit@cosmics.org.uk. When you are ready to order, please use our Kit Order Form (PDF).
Safety
Essentials Running Kit
Everyone is free to roam the hills at will, but for organised club runs we need to ensure that everyone, particularly new members, are looked after. A major potential problem is of inexperienced members going off route and getting lost, but anyone, including the fastest and most experienced campaigners, might be unlucky enough to sustain an injury and be faced with a long hobble home.
All members and others on Cosmic Runs are expected to carry the following essential kit:
- Compass
- Whistle
- Map
- Mobile phone
- Full body cover (appropriate for the conditions)
- Emergency food
- Headtorch
Please note that as this is almost the same as the compulsory kit required for races, it will not harm to get used to carrying and using it. It is for our safety that we carry the kit.
Anyone who intends to divert from the normal route, or breaking off early to head home, for instance, should make this known to others.
Information and a map with contact numbers will be circulated by email with the reminder for each run. In an emergency, dial 999, or dial or text 112 (text may often be better when mobile reception is poor).
This does not absolve individuals from responsibility for their own safety when taking part in a club run.
Codes of Conduct
As the club is affiliated with Scottish Athletics, we operate under the UK Athletics and Scottish Athletics Codes of Conduct (PDF). All club members agree to abide to these codes when they join the club. Other club policies follow Scottish Athletics guidelines as follows:
Club Privacy Notice
Cosmic Hillbashers take the protection of the data that we hold about you as a member or event entrant seriously and will do everything possible to ensure that data is collected, stored, processed, maintained, retained and destroyed in accordance with current and future UK data protection legislation. Please take time to read our full Club Privacy Notice (PDF).