Not just the tale of two inns but in Carnethy’s case a tale of two Iains. This long (and now officially) classic race cuts across from the Appin peninsula along a soggy line of hills and ridges into Glencoe. Echoes of the 2 breweries and the Carnethy 5 as a fleet of buses transported us round from the finish at the NTS centre to the start at the now re-opened Creagan Inn on Loch Linnie (and one to go back to if the pumps in the bar are anything to go by).
After a stroll under the railway and a brief warm up in the field 88 of us set off with the wind at our backs up into the wilds of Argyll. The first hill was mostly walked by us mere mortals, although Iain Gilmore decided it would be a good idea to chase after Tom Owens – ah the impetuosity of youth :>) The older, wiser (and more decrepit) of us jogged, shuffled and stumbled our way up. After the first top a pattern of trackless wet and quite liberating freedom of route choice developed. Over the subsequent miles runners would diverge, converge, fall into bogs, and generally wander North Easterly over a couple of Grahams and a Corbett and several other significant lumps.
As a hint for future participants I would recommend some short cuts – only problem is I would need to be following Manny Gorman or Dave Scott to take advantage of them (Manny had a neat line contouring round to the left to get the foot of Fraochaidh, and Dave caught me up by missing out the tops on the ridge to the North of Fraochaidh). Out of my sight Iain Whiteside had a great run to come through into third and lead Carnethy to the team prize.
Jasmin had an equally great run, setting a new course record into the bargain and only just failing to beat Stewart who was 2nd Carnethy (and 1st M50) in 5th. Andrew Gilmore was only just behind finishing 7th in a blanket finish of Carnethy’s. Iain Gilmore slipped back to an unlucky 13th, one of several of us who were cursing the cramp monsters lurking in the boggy fields to the finish.
Other Carnethy results; Alex McVey (15th), Helen Bonsor (23rd & 3rd Lady), Mike Reid (24th), Aidy (25th), Liam Braby (34), me (38), Harry (53), Colin Ledlie (79). Full results are on the SHR site. Photos here
Next up, the polar opposite of Caerketton!
Bruce Smith