Some 122 runners ran under a range of Skye summer skies on Saturday as the 27th David Shepherd Memorial Hill Race started from the Sligachan Hotel under blazing blue skies, moved through 50 shades of grey to leaden and impenetrable cloud and rain then blazing blue again if you finished late enough and some did.
Listed as one of the 500 ultimate running races and one of the toughest races in Scottish hill running this small 4.5 mile, 2500ft of ascent race attracted a pretty competitive field of club runners from far and wide but also drew out over 20 unattached local runners to give the “professionals” a run for their money, with first local Francis Shephard finishing 6th overall.
From the start Lochaber’s Finlay Wild, last year’s winner and the current record holder, took a commanding lead and despite a couple of route errors held on to take the win. HELP’s Brian Marshall, with 9 previous consecutive wins under his belt toughed it out to take second place and 1st male vet by beating Lochaber’s David Wilby by a five second margin.
1st woman home was Inverness Harrier’s Helen Gertig. Lochaber’s Amanda Blackhall was second as well as 1st female vet, just a minute ahead of Deeside’s Lina Mardell. Jorunn Voje, a Swedish holidaymaker, was surprised and delighted to be first female vet 60.
Our thanks to John and Sandy Coghill and all at the Sligachan Hotel for their spirited support and sponsorship of prizes, post race meal, drink and ceilidh. Thanks too to marshals Alison(s), Avril, Laura, Shane and Senga who sadly outnumbered Carnethy competitors this year.
Nick MacDonald
Position | Time | Name | Club | Category | Local |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 0:48:16 | Finlay Wild | Lochaber AC | M | |
2 | 0:54:05 | Brian Marshall | Help | M40 | |
3 | 0:54:11 | David Wilby | Highland Hill Runners | M | |
4 | 0:54:40 | Calum Fraser | Lochaber AC | M | |
5 | 0:55:21 | Luke Taylor | Highland Hill Runners | M | |
6 | 0:55:24 | Francis Shephard | Unattached | M | y |
7 | 0:55:53 | Alan Smith | Deeside | M50 | |
8 | 0:56:46 | Jon Gay | Lochaber AC | M40 | |
9 | 0:59:41 | Manny Gorman | Westerlands CCC | M40 | |
10 | 1:00:07 | Steven Traill | Lochaber AC | M | |
11 | 1:01:21 | Tay McCluskie | Unattached | M | y |
12 | 1:01:55 | Jack Ward | Unattached | M | |
13 | 1:02:27 | Stewart Wilson | Inverness Harriers | M40 | |
14 | 1:02:53 | Colin MacDougall | Tinto Hill Runners | M40 | |
15 | 1:03:01 | Stuart Forrest | Highland Hill Runners | M | |
16 | 1:03:20 | John Urquhart | Spey Runners | M40 | |
17 | 1:04:00 | John Perrie | Wharfedale Harriers | M | |
18 | 1:04:18 | Peter Kennedy | Lochaber AC | M40 | |
19 | 1:04:26 | Owen Bass | Deeside | M50 | |
20 | 1:04:34 | Gavin MacMillan | Lochaber AC | M | |
21 | 1:04:58 | Graham Briffett | Highland Hill Runners | M40 | |
22 | 1:07:00 | Yan Valentine | Lochaber AC | M | |
23 | 1:07:03 | Michael Bell | Lochaber AC | M40 | |
24 | 1:07:10 | John Coghill | Unattached | M | y |
25 | 1:08:22 | Steve Popple | Highland Hill Runners | M40 | |
26 | 1:08:26 | Helen Gertig | Inverness Harriers | F | |
27 | 1:09:32 | Niall Till | Skye and Lochalsh running club | M | |
28 | 1:09:35 | Ricky Inglis | Unattached | M | y |
29 | 1:10:28 | Geoff Simpson | HBT | M50 | |
30 | 1:10:34 | Keith Blackhall | Lochaber AC | M40 | |
31 | 1:10:55 | Kevin Peebles | Unattached | M40 | |
32 | 1:11:12 | Gordie Taylor | Highland Hill Runners | M50 | |
33 | 1:12:14 | Tarquin Meszaros | Unattached | M | |
34 | 1:12:50 | Steven Worsley | Inverness Harriers | M50 | |
35 | 1:13:14 | Amanda Blackhall | Lochaber AC | F40 | |
36 | 1:13:24 | John Moffat | Highland Hill Runners | M50 | |
37 | 1:13:25 | Tark Gunn | Lochaber AC | M40 | |
38 | 1:13:29 | Jonathan Weir | Unattached | M | |
39 | 1:13:40 | Angus Bowman | Lomond Hill Runners | M50 | |
40 | 1:14:20 | Niall MacBeath | Lochaber AC | M40 | |
41 | 1:14:22 | Lina Mardall | Deeside | F40 | |
42 | 1:14:53 | Andrew Shepherd | Carnethy | M50 | |
43 | 1:15:11 | Alastair Matthewson | Highland Hill Runners | M50 | |
44 | 1:15:19 | Ewan Gray | Lochaber AC | M | |
45 | 1:15:29 | Robert Maclean | Lochaber AC | M40 | |
46 | 1:15:54 | Mike Dudley | Unattached | M | |
47 | 1:16:00 | Richard Ingram | Cosmic Hill Bashers | M40 | |
48 | 1:16:34 | Gordon Neill | Unattached | M | y |
49 | 1:17:15 | Colin Wilson | Lomond Hill Runners | M50 | |
50 | 1:17:55 | Robert McLaughlin | Unattached | M | |
51 | 1:17:56 | Alisdair MacSween | Unattached | M50 | y |
52 | 1:18:51 | Colin Britton | Lochaber AC | M | |
53 | 1:18:55 | Richard Betts | Unattached | M | |
54 | 1:18:59 | Chris Mitchell | Unattached | M60 | |
55 | 1:19:18 | Gordon Sinclair | Unattached | M | y |
56 | 1:19:19 | Trevor Shaw | Lochtayside | M50 | |
57 | 1:20:10 | Alec Brett | Highland Hill Runners | M60 | |
58 | 1:20:43 | Angus MacSween | Unattached | M | |
59 | 1:21:02 | Robert MacQueen | Unattached | M | y |
60 | 1:21:48 | David Duncan | Ochill H.R. | M60 | |
61 | 1:22:49 | Brian Brennan | Westerlands CCC | M50 | |
62 | 1:23:17 | Melanie Gaff | Unattached | F | |
63 | 1:24:21 | Neil Gray | Unattached | M | |
64 | 1:24:22 | Conor Bolas | Unattached | M | y |
65 | 1:24:58 | Simon Wallwork | Wee Grumpy Runners | M | y |
66 | 1:25:28 | George Douglas | Westerlands CCC | M40 | |
67 | 1:25:31 | Joan Wilson | Lomond Hill Runners | F50 | |
68 | 1:25:36 | Andy Dunkel | Unattached | M40 | y |
69 | 1:26:18 | Stuart Hunter | Cosmic Hill Bashers | M | |
70 | 1:26:36 | Iain Beedie | Lomond Hill Runners | M40 | |
71 | 1:26:53 | Dave Till | Skye and Lochalsh running club | M50 | |
72 | 1:27:11 | Julia Connor | Unattached | F40 | |
73 | 1:27:19 | Andy Brightmore | Unattached | M40 | |
74 | 1:27:29 | Leighton Jones | Unattached | M | |
75 | 1:28:31 | Alisdair James | Unattached | M | |
76 | 1:28:32 | Chris James | Unattached | M | y |
77 | 1:28:40 | Angie Kennedy | Lochaber AC | F | |
78 | 1:29:08 | Ruaraidh Mackenzie | Unattached | M40 | y |
79 | 1:29:16 | John Baxter | Central AC | M40 | |
80 | 1:29:17 | Lesley Campbell | Wee Grumpy Runners | F40 | y |
81 | 1:29:37 | Elaine Stewart | Cosmic Hill Bashers | F50 | |
82 | 1:29:51 | Toby Aird | Watlington HB | M | |
83 | 1:30:26 | Emma Britton | Lochaber AC | F | |
84 | 1:30:56 | Rosel Tallach | Unattached | F | y |
85 | 1:31:25 | Calum Maclean | Unattached | M | y |
86 | 1:31:43 | Lia Hunter | Lochaber AC | F | |
87 | 1:32:06 | Susan Jane Ross | Lochaber AC | F40 | |
88 | 1:32:24 | Shane Bouchier | Carnethy | M40 | |
89 | 1:32:33 | Keith Noble | Unattached | M50 | |
90 | 1:32:55 | Andrew Peat | Unattached | M | |
91 | 1:33:03 | Lisa Conlon | Lochaber AC | F | |
92 | 1:33:06 | Debbie Valentine | Lochaber AC | F | |
93 | 1:34:51 | Lisa Blackley | Unattached | F | |
94 | 1:35:41 | Richard Wade | Holmfirth Harriers & AC | M40 | |
95 | 1:37:14 | Patrick Senior | Unattached | M | |
96 | 1:37:20 | Kevin Macdonald | Unattached | M | |
97 | 1:38:14 | Robert Tallach | Unattached | M40 | y |
98 | 1:39:07 | Rachel MacRae | Wee Grumpy Runners | F | y |
99 | 1:42:03 | John Riddell | Watlington HB | M50 | |
100 | 1:44:48 | Murray Bishop | Watlington HB | M50 | |
101 | 1:46:19 | Paul McGroarty | Unattached | M40 | |
102 | 1:48:01 | Jean Bowman | Lomond Hill Runners | F50 | |
103 | 1:50:03 | Benedict Bate | Carnethy | M60 | |
104 | 1:53:29 | Nicola Peat | Unattached | F | |
105 | 1:54:46 | Jochen Stahnke | Unattached | M | |
106 | 1:56:15 | Jonathan Watson | Unattached | M | |
107 | 1:56:39 | Arriayn Leighton | Unattached | F | y |
108 | 1:56:58 | Brenda Paul | Westerlands CCC | F | |
109 | 1:58:44 | Chris Hutton | Helmsby | M60 | |
110 | 2:00:08 | Jonathan Troke | Unattached | M40 | |
111 | 2:02:49 | Kenny Paterson | Unattached | M60 | |
112 | 2:11:43 | Jorunn Voje | Elkem BIL | F60 | |
113 | 2:11:43 | Bernt Blindheim | Agder Energi BIL | M60 | |
114 | 2:11:44 | Eirik Voje Blindheim | Oslo Crossfit | M | |
115 | 2:11:44 | Sverre Voje Blindheim | SK Galgen | M | |
116 | 2:13:43 | Harriet Riddell | Watlington HB | F | |
117 | 02:50:20 | Hamish Riddell | Watlington HB | M | |
Disqualifications (no carrying kit) | |||||
81 | Disq | Margaret MacAskill | Unattached | F | |
82 | Disq | Sarah Sutton | Unattached | F | |
DNF | |||||
62 | DNF | Chris Courtis | Unattached | M40 |