On Saturday I decided to start a short Highland walking holiday with 5.6 km race up Creag Dhubh at the Newtonmore Highand Games. About 90 entrants were briefed that there were a few wet patches on the course (especially the river crossing), and not to take any short cuts across the games field at the end (because being hit by a flying hammer or caber can really slow you down). The race started with a nice flat circuit of the field, not quite Hampden Park but various pipers and lots of polite clapping. It then crossed several fences, a river and a road barrier before a pleasantly runnable singe track wooded stretch. By the time I reached the final steep rocky heathery bit the real runners were plunging back towards us at an impressive speed. Murray Strain from HBT won in 27.36, just beating his colleague Hector Haines by 20 seconds.
Christina Rankin (Kinbarchan) was first lady in 34:12. I was several minutes behind them, but then my legs felt like bricks by the end.
Results: http://www.scottishhillracing.co.uk/RaceResults.aspx?RaceID=RA-0089&RaceYear=2014