It will feel a long way from the glamour of Rio but the warmth from their fellow competitors will make up for the very different climatic conditions Andrew Butchart and Callum Hawkins will face as they set about slithering their way through the Cumbernauld mud at today’s National Cross Country Relays.

A record 2390-strong field has entered the event which kicks off this year’s Lindsays Cross Country season, with Butchart and his Central Athletics club team-mates aiming for a fifth successive victory in the men’s race and the elevated profile of those Olympians makes this an exciting time for the sport.

That was reflected in the reception given to Hawkins when he became the first Scot for 33 years to win the Great Scottish Run earlier this month, but perhaps even more tellingly when Butchart received a spontaneous ovation from fellow competitors at the East District Cross Country League meet at Stirling University but after his breakthrough season it is very much business as usual for the 25-year-old.

“We’ve obviously run in it for so many years so why shouldn’t we,” he said of his and Hawkins’ participation.

“It’s worked for both of us so it’s great for us to be there and hopefully inspire some of the kids who are running and make sure they keep coming back to the cross country events because they are important.

“It’s amazing. Any opportunity I have to speak to kids and help them I’ll do it and racing this weekend if I can inspire anyone it’s great.”

While Shettleston Harriers, who beat Hawkins’ Kilbarchan team into second place at the recent West District meet, are aiming to end their winning run Butchart remains confident.

“Our team is strong,” he said.

“We’re missing a few guys we’ve had in the past, including Robert Russell and Scott McDonald who are two really, really good cross country athletes. So our team is a bit different this year, but we’ll just see how we go. Fingers crossed that our team’s strong enough and we can win it again.”

That the competition is such that the presence of individuals of such quality offers no guarantee of collective success underlines the impression that this is not a bad point in time to be picking up the reins at Scottish Athletics which Mark Munro, whose performance as the organisation’s interim chief executive saw him appointed on a permanent basis last week, fully appreciates, noting that: “There’s clear evidence of growth in the sport.”

He appreciates, too, that the opportunity to compare themselves with, or simply be around athletes like Butchart and Hawkins adds an extra dimension for many of those taking part.

“This is one of the biggest events in our year and having people like Andy and Callum racing in club vests only adds to that,” said Munro.

“We’ve seen Callum and Andy in action here a number of times over the past few years and Laura Muir has been a key supporter of the early season cross country events, as well. So the pathway is obvious and that’s a huge motivation for our young athletes.”

The first of the junior races gets underway at Cumbernauld at 12 noon with the men toeing the line at 2.45pm.