While the Elite runners were off up north running the Glen Coe Skyline (53kms, 4250m), Mike and I were happy to settle for the more “mundane” race of the Ochil 2000s (31kms, 1500m) – part of the Scottish Long Series (http://www.shr.uk.com/Championship.aspx?ChampionshipID=C-006).

We ran the Ochil 2000s in 2011 (finishing time of 4hrs 11 mins for me – Mike 3hrs 42 mins). I had found it tough so was quite apprehensive all week as I did not really know if I was fit enough to make it. I therefore decided to just enjoy it and treat the race as a training run for the Breweries and Skyline later this year. There would be NO racing against Mike, Julia etc etc and I would just simply aim to try and get a sub 4 time.

Mike drove us (yes he was late picking me up! 9am Mike – not 9.15am!!!) to Stirling University for registration, and at 10.30 we were all bussed to the other end of the Ochils near Glendevon to be dumped at the start. A nervous half hour wait while everyone stretched and discussed the route – especially the latter end where apparently one of the largest tree plantations in Scotland had appeared across the race route in the last 12 months. The race organisers still wanted us to go through this region so an extra electronic dibber (2 in fact) were located within this area forcing us to go through – more on this later!!

Ochil 2000s route – symbols added to highlight “tricky” sections

With no fuss, “Go” was shouted at 12pm and we were off. The first 1.5 kms snakes along a forest road up into the NE end of the Ochils. The gradient was relatively gentle (compared to other Ochil races) and the leading pack flew off. Mike very quickly sped away from me. Having quite a full belly of sandwiches, I could not even hope to keep up, so settled into a relatively comfortably pace. Once through the forest and over the deer fence, the route takes you on to open ground and the path heads SW upwards towards the first checkpoint. I could see Mike about 500m ahead with his bright orange backpack, but kept saying, no, keep steady, there is a long way to go.

Profile of Ochils 2000s – looks nice – finish is lower than start so there is more downhill than up. Ha!

Unlike most of the long series races, there are few steep ascents (except for Dumyat at the end), so the first half of this race is a real pleasure. The ground is soft and spongy and the miles just fly by. I played a little game with myself to help the navigation by trying to recognise which sections of other races I was on – Dollar, Maddy Moss, Run of the Mills etc etc. It helped keep me focussed. Although conditions were excellent (17 degrees, light southerly wind, cloud above the tops), I still wanted to keep my eye on the route. If the cloud came down, then the nature of this race would change significantly – navigation would be difficult in poor visibility.

At about 1hr 10 mins, after the descent off King’s Seat, I realised that I must have been slowly catching Mike up – he was only about 100m in front. I started shouting abuse that he was slacking :-). For the next few kilometres, I was basically on Mike’s tail, but did not try to overtake as it would only have unnecessarily tired me out. It was quite amusing seeing him nervously keep looking back all the time. We got to the half way and highest point at Ben Cleuch in 1 hr 44 mins. All down here from this point – sweet! Well – life aint so easy my friends. The next few kilometres over Ben Buck and Ben Ever are relatively straightforward, but then the path disappears and the style of the race changes considerably – for the worst. There is about 2kms of deep bog towards Blairdennon Hill. It was this section that killed my legs in 2011. This time, however, either I was a little fitter or I took a better route – it was not so bad. I in fact caught Mike up for a while and we ran/waded/staggered together for some of this section. On the ascent up to Blairdennon Hill, Mike did however pull away. Again, I was happy to keep my steady pace and not try and keep up.

The route takes a sharp left at Blairdennon. Mike took a different route, going SE and contouring around the head of the valley. I had scoured the maps during the previous week and was convinced that going straight south down/up in/out of the valley would be quicker. Indeed it was, not by much, but on gaining elevation again after about a kilometre, Mike and I were together again. I think at this point, Mike deferred to my navigation skills and stayed with me – maybe he was equally tired. We were now entering the region where thousands of saplings had been planted. We had no idea what to expect. We luckily found an old boggy track which took us nicely SW toward Lossburn Reservoir in the distance which was our aim for the ascent up Dumyat. As we started the descent however, we now realised what was ahead of us. It looked like the mountainside had been combed. Half meter deep/wide parallel draining ditches crisscrossed everywhere. Luckily the saplings were still small, but the draining ditches and some random pits were a b****y nightmare. This whole area will become impossible as the saplings grow in the coming years. Although we took a fairly direct route – we even found the dibber in all of this mess – it was slow going and running was a distant memory. A real shame as we had been on for an excellent time. It was also clear that many runners were having problems – Mike and I caught up quite a few lost souls and there were many others all over the area seemingly running off in random directions.

We managed to get to Lossburn Reservoir with semi-functioning legs. Fatigue was definitely creeping into my legs by this point. Only Dumyat to go. A 1 km very slow climb up to the peak. I guess after the plantation nightmare, this was relatively easy, but none of the runners around us were looking fresh. We reached the summit of Dumyat at 3 hrs 30 mins. I said goodbye to Mike at this point as I knew I would have no chance keeping up with him on the descent. By this point my legs were finished and were starting to cramp up. The descent is actually the only rocky, technical section of the whole race – the last thing you need when your legs are losing control. I stumbled on and managed to make it down through the technical steep sections of the woods. Battling constant cramping in my legs, I stumbled along the last 1.5 kms valley track towards the University, happy in the knowledge that I was going to get a PB. I am not sure what happened next – maybe I blanked out – but the next thing I knew I was flying head over heels off the track to the right. I landed heavily on my right hip, flew into some logs and end up in a nice little grove of nettles. I couldn’t get out quickly as both legs went rigid in spasm and I, embarrassingly, screamed rather loudly. A runner behind me looked in panic thinking that I had broken something. Through gritted teeth I said I was OK and somehow managed to get back into a vertical position and like a robot managed to get my legs moving again. I was literally meters away from the hole in the wall before the final few hundred meters to the finish.

So – with huge relief, I crossed the line in 3:52 (PB!!!). Mike in 3:49 [results not up yet but Mike was 31st]. I was covered in nettle stings, especially my left arm, and have quite a graze on my right hip. But what a race! Despite the trials and tribulations of the last 8kms, this is a great race and you bet I’ll do it again. There is definitely potential to recover some time with some scouting of the plantation area and in fact I am pretty sure the organisers are going to be forced to consider a route change as the forest grows up. Time will tell I guess.

4 weeks to the Breweries – bring it on!

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Rob [and Mike]

Distance 16.2 km
Climb 800 m

Six of us travelled through for this race with a girls car and a boys car. The weather was lovely and sunny. Once you register at Strathmiglo Village Hall there is a 2K walk/jog to the start that allows for a warm up. The route starts on a quite steep uphill on forest track before reaching a wide and more solid track which levels out a bit so you can catch your breath. Soon you reach another narrow track through the forest that is boggy in parts. There is a fence to climb over and in these early stages of the race Andrea and I kept overtaking eachother. Coming out of the forest you head over the moors to the summit of East Lomond, once you reach the summit you turn round and retrace your steps back towards the road where there is a water station. As I headed towards East Lomond I was passed by the faster harriers in the group as they headed back down and we were all shouting encouragement to eachother. Once off the summit the route is more gentle and allows for good stretches of running, Andrea and I were still neck and neck at this point. The path is quite narrow at points and the hill drops away quite steeply on your right hand side. There is a nice clambering section at Craigen Gaw and then you make your way towards West Lomond. Once you reach the summit there is some fast downhill running followed by the bit everyone looks forward to – the bum slide. This is fun and gives your legs a little break. From here you head towards the bunnet stane, then you have the last uphill section of the race. I stayed high as Rob had suggested as I made my way back towards the forest and this worked well for me, I think I even passed a few people at this point. Then once you enter the forest it is a very pleasant run along a wide track then down a quite steep downhill back to the finish. Some people were lingering to feast on the abundance of blueberries growing in between the trees. I was very thirsty so headed back to the village hall where there was bananas and crisps etc, and tea and coffee available. The race is well marked and marshalled and there are checkpoints with orienteeering style stampers.

results:
9 Stuart Sanderson 01:39:41
28 Mike Brooks 01:51:29
31 Rob Wilson 01:52:50
61 Gillian Cairns 02:09:32
72 Sadie Kemp 02:16:59
79 Andrea Wilson 02:20:32

Action shots courtesy of Pete Bracegirdle:

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Distance 6 km
Climb 274 m

This would make a great first hill race for anyone wanting to give hill racing a go as its quite short and well marked and marshalled.

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This race is organised by Moorfoot Runners and registration is at Peebles High School. There is also a 3K junior race on the same day and we caught the end of it when we were waiting for ours to start. The race is at 2.30 so plenty of time to eat your lunch and let it go down before hand.

The route is a figure of eight and is quite runnable, although I did walk the last uphill of Cademuir hill as this was quite steep. The weather was sunny and quite warm and the views of the surrounding hills are just lovely when you reach the top of the hill. After this there is a nice downhill section, then a gentler uphill on the return journey followed by what I see as the rollercoaster section of undulating track back towards the finish.

Results:
10 31.36 Yan Horsburgh
34 38.08 Michael Greens
38 39.55 Sadie Kemp
45 42.17 Michael Philp

Clennell Hall is a large house in Northumberland, near Alnwick. It is now used as a bunk house, and also has loads of room for camping. The race was an early start at 9.30, so our original plan was to camp, but the weather had other ideas, so we stayed in a nearby hotel. There was a marathon as well as the 10 mile.
We all set off together, just as the pelting rain stopped, which was nice. The first mile was on the flat, followed by about 3.5 miles of a steepish and steady climb uphill. At 4.5 miles there was a really well stocked water point, with flapjacks, popcorn and bananas. At this point, the marathon veered off, and we continued downhill and onto the flat, through forest. !t was easy going, with a few streams to cross. Another well stocked water station at mile 8, and as we reached mile 9, I was thinking how well it was going and was reckoning on a not bad time. However, on the left was a sign saying ” Did you really think that was it?” with a sign pointing up a hill. It was proper off road for about a mile, very tough going on boggy high grass and nettles, traversing a burn, and generally avoiding injuring myself. It was totally energy sapping, and seemed never ending. When we finally came off that part, we had another uphill climb, then a steep downhill descent to the finish.
After I had finished, I was a bit disapointed with my time, ’til it was pointed out to me that it had actually been 11.5 miles, not 10.
All in all it was pretty tough going, but enjoyable. Plus points were the water stations, cheap entry (£16), friendly staff and competitors. Minus points were, there was no marshall at the 9 mile turning point, so some people missed out the last section, which seemed a bit of a shame for them (or not, as the case may be).
Goody bag was a tshirt (not a running one), a medal and a banana, so not very exciting. Not a cake to be seen either!! Poor show. Anyhoos, it’s only a 2 hour drive away, and well worth checking out next year.

The shortest and sharpest of the Bog and Burn races at 3.6Km and 300m climb, starting near the bottom car park where we meet for hill reps. I thought there might be more harriers there as it is so local. There was only Mike Brooks, Michael Greens, Chris Downie and me. Predictably we finished in that order. A lovely evening, unfortunately the midges thought so too and were out in abundance. A steal of a race at only £3 with an exciting descent, hopefully more harriers will be tempted next year. 🙂

Results (with some creative name changes from Carnethy)

Pos No Name Club Category Time
40 182 Mike Brodis Penicuik V50 23.11
67 68 Michael Greens Penicuik Senior 25.24
87 83 Chris Dounie Penicuik V50 27.53
95 67 Sadie Kemp Penicuik Fsenior 28.48

The penultimate race in the 2015 Harriers Hill Racing Grand Prix. Die-hards in attendance: Stuart, Mike, Moi, Chris, Gillian and Andrea.

At 11 kms with 400 m of climb, this is a modest mid-distance race and, to use my favourite term, “annoyingly runnable”.

Overall there were about 120 runners although the field was split between the full 11km race and a shorter 6.5 km route. There was a distinct lack of elite runners – maybe because most of them had been running the Two Inns the previous day. A good possible day therefore for improving our stats.

This was a very successful day for the Harriers all round, but the story of the day, as far as I was concerned, was an epic battle between me and Mike.

Philiphaugh race route with overtaking positions highlighted

I started off, as usual, pretty much at the front trying to keep up with Charlotte Morgan to see how long I could stay with her. She soon started pulling away and soon ‘old’ Stuart cruised past me for his dream of 1^st V50. After about 1.5 kms, Mike also passed me and, determined to keep him in sight, there then started the closest race we have ever had. Mike and I were really never more than about 1-200 metres from each other throughout the whole race. I have honestly forgotten how many times we passed each other, but I have placed about 6 locations on the map (MoR: Mike overtakes Rob; RoM: Rob overtakes Mike) but to be honest it could have been more. We were breathing down each other’s necks the whole way and we both constantly killed ourselves to stay ahead.

On the ascent up to the Three Brethren, Mike was ahead of me most of the way and I only passed him on one of the few short steep sections towards the summit where he walked, but then I had to walk (only section on whole race) as my legs briefly turned to jelly. I managed to stay ahead of Mike for the descent down and ascent up to Foulshields, but I knew he would have me on the long descent off this hill. Basically, I was passing him going up and he passed me on the down. Damn those knees! This swapping of places occurred throughout the woody sections around Harehead Hill. Mike finally passed me on the downhill from Harehead and I thought I had no chance now and screamed at him as he cruised by shouting that if only there was another hill I’d have him! Well – Mother Earth listened and as the final marshal shouted 200 meters to go I realised there was a slight incline and this was my time to sprint. With a final burst of energy, I managed to pass Mike and crossed the line only seconds ahead of him. Sweat revenge my friend for Feel the Burns and Maddy Moss!!

Overall results from 60 runners (Winner 48:13):

Stuart: 6^th: 52:09 – 2^nd V50

Rob: 7^th: 54:06 – 2^nd M40

Mike: 8^th: 54:11 – 3^rd V50

Gillian: 14^th: 1:00:36 – 2^nd lady and 1^st F40 – GREAT RACE and best action picture!!!

Chris: 31^st: 1:06:34

Andrea: 35^th: 1:07:37 – 3^rd F40

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This race starts and finishes at the harbour in North Berwick.

Michael and I arrived quite early for the race and had plenty of time to warm up and chat to other runners, I was keeping a look out for harriers but didn’t spot any. The race is a bit of a stampede at the beginning until the runners thin out as you make you way through the town towards the Law. This is a gradual climb until you reach the hill itself and then it is just straight up, hands on legs stuff. When you reach the top you are given a rubber wrist band to prove you have made it. Just after I left the summit Chris Downie appeared beside me, and it wasnt long before he had passed me.

I did my best not to let him get out of my sight and made my way back towards the finish. As you approach the harbour the support is fantastic and gives you a real boost.

We were handed a bottle of water and a medal. Soon Billy and Daniel appeared with fish and chips for us, a must when visiting North Berwick. Chris went off to enjoy a steak roll at the life boat center.

Then we made our way round to the chip shop where they were giving out free ice cream to the runners. Yum 🙂

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Thanks to the organisers for another great race. Fantastic value at only £4. Thanks as always to Bob Marshall for the action pics. (I couldn’t see one of Chris Downie, he must have been going too fast!)

results:
73 Michael Greens 26.27
112 Chris Downie 28.5O
117 Sadie Kemp 29.02

Every race is a special occasion and yet paradoxically, it’s getting harder and harder to say just what it’s all about (without endless repetition) – still, here goes anyway . . .

The Prologue

Despite pre race trepidations about lack of training, I came off The Fling on a complete high after an exhilarating, stress free and PB experience. This euphoria was taken even higher after being support crew on the West Highland Way Race in June. So why worry about 42 miles at the beginning of August? The eternal struggle to find enough time grind away at those long training runs will never go away and this is what was nawing at me.

Base Camp

For me, there is no better base camp than the Kings House Hotel. There are many reasons for this, not least that my Dad spent many of his happiest days on the mountains in Glencoe but also because it puts you in the very heart of the race route. Booked room so far ahead and boy was it worth it – an amazing family room which everyone approved of – phew! Good food, final details sorted and then, at last, sleep.

Commence Race Sequence

Up at 04:00 hrs, porridge and coffee down and driver / son Andrew gently prodded into action. Road to Tyndrum clear and wide and there, as always, was the now familiar friendly face of the ultra community. I am slowly starting to feel less anxious now – there is only one race, and that is yours.

T Minus Zero

There comes a tipping point when you just have to cast off and go for it – this comes just moments before zero hour and its ever so exciting and the power of self belief really does have to step in. Proud and pleased to have Andrew there to help with all the last wee bits and pieces, take photos and wave me off . . . “See you in Glencoe dad” . . . “I’ll be there son” – good bonding stuff!

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Reality

For me, the reality of it all is so many things – some small, some large, some within control and some not. Start with focus – I really do work hard at settling down to one of my treasured mantras “Relentless Forward Progress”. Sometimes I’m lucky enough to find a ‘rock’ to run close to and this helps. And yet you can find yourself thinking maybe they don’t want some old hippo lumbering along behind them. Other times, though not very often, you find others following you even when there is plenty space to pass. I accept these rare situations as a compliment – I must be doing something right (I hope). Familiarity is good – it makes life so much easier when you know where the route goes and what to expect and so how the deal with it all. And so it was that the trail by the railtrack to Bridge of Orchy, over the hill to Inveroran and Victoria Bridge and along the drovers track to Glencoe passed by. Some rain but nothing serious. The special sight of cresting the rise and realising that the awesome splendor of the Coe is spread out before for you, is truly a sight to behold. Nothing can touch the majesty of the Buchaille, the Great Shepard, and his mighty compatriots spreadout beyond him. And yes, there it is, The Devils Staircase, the pass to the north.

Passed by checkpoint at Glencoe Ski Area and down the Kings House where my support team (my wife, Aileen, and children Andrew and Jennifer) where being eaten alive by midges but still ready with oatcakes and Philadelphia, avocado and milk – what a feast and, incidentally, inspired largely by the legendary Chris Finill. Photos and onward into the clouds which were constantly threatening with dark foreboding.

Halfway up the Devils Staircase and ironically, the heavens opened. This combined with a strong wind was a challenge for sure but the wilder it gets, the happier I get! Delighted to meet Fiona Rennie and friends at the top with encouragement and sweeties.

The rain continued as I moved down the very steep track into Kinlochleven. Again, support team ready with fuel which this time was washed down with flat Coke – strange but true. My team ended up taking a chap, who had unfortunately crashed his bike, to the Belford Hospital in Fort William. As his story became apparent, so it was heart breaking. His son had developed a brain tumour aged 5 and died. He was embarking on various challenges to raise money for charity. Onward and upward through the trees and out into the magical splendor that is the Lairig Mor. High and unbelievably steep sided mountains soar up either side of the glen and the horrendous Devils own rain was finally receding. The light that comes after the rain is often vibrant and razor clear and today was no exception – the green, green grass positively glowed. That, of course, is looking upward. Underfoot was near riverlike in parts but once the feet are wet, they are going to stay that way.

As the WHW route slowly pulls round toward the north, an old friend swings into view and the joy that comes from knowing that the end is not so far way is something else. Yes, there is no mistaking the mighty Ben.

The Finish

If the penultimate challenge was the rise out of the Braveheart carpark, then the final one was the descent to the finish area – quads squealing all the way. However, this was totally eclipsed by the sight of the (red) finish arch, warm sunshine and a welcome racket of cheers and cowbells! The pint of chilled Stella that I was given slipped down a treat and a quick scan of the goody bag confirmed what we all expected – a great spread! I was also delighted with The Devil hoodie – gotta have it!

The Devils Disciples

It’s been said by many others but can be repeated too many times – Johnny Fling and his team have organised and executed a fantastic race with no detail left out and all streaked with the Devils red – just brilliant. And the marshals en route – again, just amazing and my favourite was Fiona Rennie et al at the top of the Staircase – wicked. I can honestly say that the Devil is my favourite race and it just got even better – thank you guys.

The Support Crew

Behind every runner and their endeavours is a great support crew and my story is no different. Aileen, Andrew and Jennifer endured the rain and midges, enjoyed the sun and the atmosphere and were there not just for me but also the injured cyclist. I think they earned their dinner at the superb Real Food Café at Tyndrum – don’t you?

The Epilogue

I re-started running in 2003 and took up with ultras in 2011. In the beginning, I had no idea what I was doing and even less about why. As the years have passed, I feel a bit less of a Sunday jogger and more importantly, I am now coming to appreciate why I’m out there. I used to obsess with who I was passing, who was passing me and whether I would finish at all. I do still look at my watch but all the other clutter is slowly slipping away. Which all brings me to my other favourite line . . . “Run and Become” . . . I think I maybe. Out on the trail I am at my happiest (apart from the day I got married, the birth of my children etc etc – lol).

Triple Crown

After supporting on the WHW race, I made a personal commitment to submit an entry for next years race. In so doing, I kind of assumed that perhaps the Devil wouldn’t really be necessary. That was until some bright sparks (bless you Ross & John) posted stuff about something called the Triple Crown – gotta have the t-shirt – lol!

The last time I was up Ben Ledi was the occasion of Dave’s 60th, when a number of Harriers joined him on a trek to the summit.

This race had been postponed due to bad weather earlier in the year so Stuart and I headed up on this new date. I had fancied Ben Rinnes, but a bit of a drive. Headed through Callander to see the imposing Ben, you cant miss it, it’s the big lump on the left. Registered in a field by Loch Lubnaig, then the usual mingling about before the start and the habitual 4 seasons in half an hour as has been the Summer so far.

Off we went, pretty decent field with a good sprinkling of racing snakes, soon to disappear from sight.

The course is a 10k circular route with a 2500 foot ascent. Initially up a forest road and then onto the open hillside and the tourist path up to the shoulder and the drag up to the summit,. The weather was kind if not even a bit hot. Had a fleeting glimpse around at the cairn revealing a stunning vista. No time for gawping though, a quick traverse of the ridge then a plummet down Stank Glen, a superb techy descent, quite boggy with all the rain and eventually briefly back to the forest road, then off into the woods and over the line, in 1:09:47, Stuart had finished in 1:04:52

I got torn into several cups of tea and cake, the tea being downed in a rather nice race mug.

Stuart reckoned he may be up for a prize so we hung about (eaten alive) for the delayed Prize giving. I was sitting in the car, when much to my surprise I got called out for 3rd Super Vet, then Stu for 2nd, we were well chuffed

Back down the road for a quick pit stop in Callender for the food of champions, a pie and a bridie.

Great race and thoroughly recommend it.

Results update according to Scottish Hill Racing we were 1st and 2nd old boys.

I camped with my family at the Glen Nevis campsite, we travelled up on the friday evening to make a weekend of it. This meant on the saturday I had time to go and check out some of the route.

The race starts at 9.30 from the Nevis Range (Ski centre) car park where there is a coffee shop and plenty of room to get parked. The route starts with an uphill on gravel track and this meanders through the forest, every now and then you get a glimpse of Ben Nevis between the trees. The track is wide for most of the way apart from a couple of little sections where you are being tickled by the ferns. There was one boggy patch where I sank into the marsh and started to question my choice of road shoes over trail. Once you reach Spean Bridge there is a short road section where traffic was being stopped to let us cross followed by a couple of miles on narrow forest track up to the Commando monument. From here we were on road for a few miles and this section is mostly down hill allowing for some faster running. This is where you reach the 13 mile marker which always gives me a lift as I know I can soon start counting down the miles to the finish. The scenery is fantastic at this point with the rolling hills and Ben Nevis in the distance. After a while you reach the Caledonian canal at Gairlochy and I was pleased to be handed an isogel as well as water at this station, I had brought some of my own but wasn’t sure if they were going to last me. I had a bit of a sore stomach the first half of the race and couldn’t face the solid food I had brought. Running by the canal is just lovely. The tow path is very smooth and the coolness and tranquility of the canal was very soothing. This is quite a long stretch of the race and I settled into a comfortable pace and even passed some of the runners that had overtaken me in the early miles.

Once you get to Neptune’s staircase the route is back on roads and takes you back towards the Nevis range. At one point you are running along a road straight towards ‘the Ben’ and this took my mind off my legs which were starting to complain at this point. Once you pass the Fort William golf club its not much further before you take the road that leads to the North face car park. After this you are back on forest track and quite a lot of it is uphill. I was feeling really tired by this point and had to dig deep to keep running as quite a few people had started walking. Runners were encouraging each other and there was a real sense of camaraderie in this last section of the race. The trail comes out again at the car park and just before the finish someone shouted ‘don’t forget to smile as you cross the line!’. I was very happy to be finished and get in under 4 hours. This isn’t my best marathon time but due to the hills and the challenging terrain I was happy with my time and glad to see Billy, Daniel and Michael waiting for me at the finish. You get a t-shirt, medal and a miniature of ‘Ben Nevis’ Whisky as well as a tunnocks caramel wafer and the standard banana and bottle of water. I didn’t carry any drinks as there were water stations every few miles and gels available in the later stages of the race.The race was very well marked and marshalled and chip timed. The weather was great for running with a little cloud cover and no rain. I finished in 78 out of 292 in a time of 3.55.35. This was a new race and I think the organisers did a great job, this is one I would recommend. 🙂

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I have been wanting to run this race for a while, but as it is north of the Cairngorms, it’s a real hike to get there. However, as Andrea was away I decided to take the plunge and go on a road trip north.

To ensure I did not have a 4 hr drive and get up super early (race start 12pm), I drove to Aviemore yesterday, stayed at the Youth Hostel and undertook some Guinness sponsored carb loading with friends at the Old Bridge Inn. After a 7.30am continental breakfast and then at 9.30 a full “English” break at the mountain café, I waddled to the car for the final hour drive to Dufftown (you don’t pronounce the w).

The Ben Rinnes Hill Race is part of the Dufftown Highland Games (http://dufftownhighlandgames.com/) – a true traditional Scottish games with pipe bands, track races, traditional dancing, tug of war, caber tossing, loads of food and of course the fell race. Ben Rinnes is also part of the Scottish Long Series (http://www.shr.uk.com/Championship.aspx?ChampionshipID=C-006) and due to my knee, I have missed all of them so far this year. High time to see if there is still life in this old dog yet!

Ben Rinnes route

At about 22kms with 1500m of climb, on paper, it is similar to Stuc a’Chroin but in reality is much easier – much less technical. Although the contours look close together on the map and the profile looks scary, this is one of those races that is annoyingly runnable. Even on most climbs I bounced between short bursts of running mixed with walking. Maybe I was burning all that fried fat off from the 2^nd breakfast.

The route is an out and back race with 3 peaks, but two of them you have to do twice. I generally don’t like out/back races, but the views were stunning and the terrain (a path all the way) varied from tracks, peaty trails to granite steps and somehow seemed different on the return. Weather was perfect. Bar one heavy shower 10 mins before the start, the race was dry and the sun kept popping out long enough to remind the runners what a summer could be like.

Ben Rinnes Profile

Most of the route was relatively easy going. There were two arduous sections: (1) the initial descent of Ben Rinnes itself where the path has been layed with granite steps. When going up, I thought this would be a nightmare but in the end, rather than zig-zagging down, most runners just went straight through the heather dodging the rocks; (2) The other tough surprise was the climb out from the road crossing. Bloody steep but thankfully not that long. I did not even remember coming down it.

Having never run this race before, I had no idea how long it would take me. However, when looking at past results, I saw that Hillary Holding had been 1^st lady in 2007 with 2:48:42 and last year Madeline Robinson had ran it in 2:37:26. So my two friendly nemeses were close in time, so I felt a 2:45 was worth aiming for although, being ever competitive, I kept looking at my watch the whole race thinking, can I beat them?

And what did I do it in?

2:36:31 (27^th – no idea how many runners though).

🙂

Amy had recommended this race and very kindly drove some of us through to Muirkirk in her ‘pocket rocket’. The weather was a little chilly when we got out of the car and we had some debate over whether or not to wear a tshirt under our club vests. I didn’t bother and was glad as I got too hot as soon as I started running. The race has a relaxed atmosphere and we were given sticky numbers (new to me) to put on. The race is an out and back route and is marshalled and there are road cones marking the way so very easy to navigate. The ground at the beginning and end is a real quagmire so you need to choose carefully where to place your feet to avoid going in knee deep. This makes it quite tiring as your shoes are soaked from the start. Once you get on to the uphill section the ground is drier with some rockier sections and when you get to the large cairn at the top the views are gorgeous. I was managing to keep close to Chris Downie and Amy until this point but as we made our way back down the hill they both seemed to get further and further from me (I really need to work on my descents!). I was very happy at the finish to be handed a bottle of water and a medal. All in all a very enjoyable race and the weather stayed dry apart from a little shower which was quite refreshing at the time.

Distance 7.2 km
Climb 330 m

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results:
20 Mike Brooks 0:40:09
53 Christopher Downie 0:49:11
59 Amy Kerr 0:51:08
60 Sadie Kemp 0:51:47

This is a lovely coastal route which is pretty flat and is on grass, path and track. Very well organised and marshalled. It is chipped timed and this year you were able to get a print out of your time immediately at the finish.

Great turn out again from the harriers and lovely to have Dave there to support us too. Quite windy conditions with the threat of rain but it stayed dry while we were running. The wind was quite blustery and when you made the return part of the race that’s when you really felt it working against you. Nice goody bag at the end and a generous buffet and a free ice cream were also enjoyed by all.

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There are more photos here : https://picasaweb.google.com/113562417702657933373/MUSSELBURGH10K2015 thanks to Bob Marshall

Results: Finish position, chip time, finish time

132 Michael MCCOMB 00:46:43 00:46:59
147 Michael GREENS 00:47:27 00:47:42
148 Sadie KEMP 00:47:28 00:47:44
161 Tracy PHILP 00:48:03 00:48:17
163 Ian FORREST 00:48:08 00:48:26
175 Melanie DUNBAR 00:49:07 00:49:22
194 Ezmie MCCUTCHEON 00:50:30 00:50:45
195 Michael PHILP 00:50:33 00:50:48
205 Alan Black 00:51:24 00:51:41
213 Pamela NEWPORT 00:52:08 00:52:23
227 Lynne Stevely 00:52:57 00:53:14
228 Dyane HARVEY 00:52:54 00:53:15
263 Julie YOUNG 00:56:37 00:56:53

Well this is my 1st race report on the page. Tracy and I arrived in Moffat early afternoon as we were staying in the campsite for a couple of days. Plenty parking in and around the town centre although the Main Street is closed off at 4pm to accommodate the junior and main race. Registration at the town hall was easy and ran by friendly volunteers, also spaces available on the day for late entries. The race started at 7.15pm and had a fantastic turnout of around 180 runners from various clubs and individuals as well. The Penicuik team including Yan Horsburgh, Tracy Philp and myself.
The 9.3 mile route left the town along a beautiful undulating B road for about 3.5 miles to a farm at the base of the famous Devils Beef Tub, here you faced a fantastic climb for approximately 1 mile up a farm track to the top (thank you for Thursday Hill Training Bill Bennet), I only wish I had my camera to take some pictures of the fantastic view.

This only left a fantastic 4 mile run back down the Beef Tub via the main road back in to Moffat town centre, the route was well marshalled and also drew out a lot of spectators along the way at the numerous cottages and farms along the way. The highlight was running back in to high street to be met by what seemed like the whole population of the town. Fantastic goodie bag with T shirt, hat, mars bar and a slate plaque to commemorate the event, not to mention cake made by the local Jogscotland members at the finish line too. I for sure will definitely do it next year.

Results
Yan Horsburgh 19th 62.08 (2nd super vet)
Tracy Philp 78th 75.41
Michael Philp 117th 82.01