7.30 run: We fought our way up a wet and windy Blackford hill and slipped and slid our way down again, squelchy thuds marking out those with worn down shoes. Out of the wind in the Hermitage it felt quite warm so we ran up and down that. I actually managed to find a bit I at least have never trodden before, between the foot of the steps and the bridge, off the main path. 4.36 miles Digby |
Archives for December 2015
SHR Journal – Request For Contributions
2015 has been a great year for Carnethy and there have been a huge array of outstanding achievements from members of the club. If anyone would like to share their stories with the wider Scottish Hill Running community, Ronnie Gallagher is currently compiling the SHR Journal which will be printed in time for the Carnethy 5 in February.
If anyone has items they would like to include could they pass them to Ronnie at committee5@scottishhillrunners.uk
Many thanks,
Neil Gilmore
(SHR Secretary)
[send a copy to Margaret for the journal too! – editor]
Lothian Cycle Club 41st Handicap Foot Race – or the Cauldstane Slap
After the torrential rain and gales over the previous days, I thought this one was going to be rough. I’d done the Park Run the day before to toughen myself up. As it was, the rain had gone and the wind had dropped to a light breeze by the time I got up to Baddingsgill.
16 runners entered, which was a bit up on last year. The usual haggling over handicaps took place but Eddie was taking no excuses. Mine was pretty good at -1. I caught Robin Thomas pretty quickly, (he’d stopped for a “comfort break” at the top of the first hill) out of view of Viv. I caught her just after we passed some highland coos on the trail. The sharp pointy horns looked a bit menacing, so we both took it carefully. It was such a lovely sunny day by then I took a photo and lost the lead. The path was extremely wet and the first bridge was almost submerged.
I’d got back into the lead by the turn up at Cauldstane, but on turning could see my lead was rather precarious. Half the field passed me on the blistering descent. The photo might have cost me three places and Ray just pipped me by 1 second.
Claire Ward was first home in a close finish. Thanks to Jimmy Cooney for organising. A marvellous wee race.
Brian Howie
Results
Carnethy Ladies on the run
Seven Carnethy ladies ran from Margaret’s house on Monday night. We ran down to the Water of Leith, under the Bypass to the metal bridge at Woodhall Farm and then up to Tiphereth through a burn on a narrow path. Thankfully the rest of the route over to Torduff Reservoir and Bonaly was on better ground. As Kirsty and I were running down White Hill we realised for the first time (ever!) we were in the lead, but Joanne was distracting the others with a good story. Finally, we ran over the new centenary wood (where the trees are still a bit on the short side, but growing) and under the Bypass again before a short run through the Covenanters’ Wood and home.
Margaret
7 Reservoirs Half Marathon
The Pentlands Seven Reservoirs Multi Terrain Half Marathon, or ‘7R Half’ to make it less of a mouthful, was on Sunday 6th of December.
Organised brilliantly by Harmeny Pentland Runners, starting and finishing at Threipmuir, passing the reservoirs Loganlea~Glencorse~Bonaly~Torduff~Clubbiedean~Harlaw. It was a wet one underfoot this year with the start being diverted slightly as Threipmuir was brimful after Desmond left his mark on Saturday. The actual weather was almost ideal, bright, chilly and a fair breeze. The ‘multi-terrain’ description was apt, along with tarmac, mud, hard packed trail, the path through Green Cleugh to Loganlea was practically one long stream. Not a route for a half marathon PB, but fun all the same.
96 runners, Dessie Flanagan (Carnethy) first home in 1hr 24:56 for the hat trick, the three-peat win. David Fulton (HBT) 2nd in 1hr 25:32 and Nigel Shekleton (Carnethy) 3rd in 1hr 29:31. I crawled in in 7th at nearly the same exact time as last year. The post race spread is always a highlight, and the weather seems to respond in kind, with campfire soup, tea, cake and sandwiches, with (non booze) mulled wine bubbling away.
The event always raises a good amount for local charities (£ tbc this year), the main charity nominated this year for the race was the Children’s Hospice Association Scotland.
Results and the website http://www.pentland7reservoirs.org.uk/
Matthew Curry
Trossachs Night Series – Race 1
After non-stop rain for most of November conditions turned out to be cold and crisp. A last minute re-route of the course after some access issues saw a flatter route of approx. 5.5 miles covering the trails by the Forth and across to Lochan Spling. 79 runners braved the cold and first home was Joe Symonds, 2nd Colin Loigan, 3rd Craig Harvey. The first lady was Fanni Gyurko (an international Hungarian orienteer) in 6th place overall, followed by Catriona Buchanan and 3rd Edel Mooney.
Thanks to all the marshals, the Forth Inn for hosting the event and the Trossachs Search and Rescue for providing emergency back up.
Put January 27th in your diaries!
Here’s the provisional results for the Trossachs Night Trail Race. Sorry if your result is incorrect, a few runners had jackets covering their numbers so made recording their finish time challenging! If your result is incorrect please get in touch with Angela on angela.mudge@btinternet.com and it will be amended.
Position | Race No. | Time | Name | Club | Category |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 45 | 30.26 | Joe Symonds | Shettleston Harriers | M |
2 | 47 | 32.47 | Colin Logan | Central AC | M |
3 | 9 | 32.58 | Craig Harvey | Squadra Porcini | M40 |
4 | 48 | 33.51 | Grant MacDonald | Bellahouston | M |
5 | 29 | 34.07 | Andy Llewellyn | NOC | MSen |
6 | 35 | 34.08 | Fanni Gyurko | Central AC | F |
7 | 16 | 34.50 | Bob Steel | Central AC | M40 |
8 | 23 | 35.02 | Phil Williams | Central AC | M40 |
9 | 36 | 35.07 | Iain Gilmore | Carnethy | M |
10 | 40 | 35.52 | Mark Ryan | u/a | M |
11 | 57 | 35.55 | Peter Buchanan | Portobello Running Club | M50 |
12 | 51 | 36.00 | Alisdair Murphy | u/a | M |
13 | 41 | 36.13 | Catriona Buchanan | Ochil Hill Runners | F |
14 | 72 | 36.20 | Greg Cadman | u/a | M |
15 | 61 | 36.31 | Mark Baugn | Ochil Hill Runners | M40 |
16 | 65 | 36.46 | Robert Osfield | u/a | M40 |
17 | 39 | 36.51 | Sean McFarlane | Ochil Hill Runners | M40 |
18 | 37 | 37.05 | Neil Gilmore | Carnethy | M50 |
19 | 34 | 37.24 | Jon Cross | Forth Valley Orienteers | M40 |
20 | 10 | 37.30 | Ali Black | Carnethy | MSen |
21 | 8 | 37.35 | Richard Coombs | Central AC | M40 |
22 | 5 | 37.52 | Edel Mooney | Ochil Hill Runners | F40 |
23 | 15 | 37.53 | Andre Van | u/a | MSen |
24 | 53 | 38.32 | Mike Lynch | Carnethy | M40 |
25 | 19 | 39.02 | Vincente Fernadez | Glasgow Tri Club | MSen |
26 | 14 | 39.13 | Matthijs Metselaar | u/a | MSen |
27 | 71 | 39.29 | Roddy Cunningham | Westerlands | M |
28 | 26 | 39.40 | Alan Dunbar | Penicuik Harriers | M40 |
29 | 24 | 39.46 | Simon Barlow | Central AC | M40 |
30 | 75 | 39.55 | Nick Strange | Stirling Tri Club | M40 |
31 | 1 | 40.13 | Fiona Kelsall | Ochil Hill Runners | F40 |
32 | 25 | 40.34 | Roger Greenaway | Central AC | M60 |
33 | 68 | 40.42 | Val Houston | Westerlands | F50 |
34 | 62 | 40.47 | Jonathan Weir | u/a | M |
35 | 66 | 40.52 | Alistair Thomson | Springburn Harriers | M40 |
36 | 64 | 41.14 | Robert Latimer | Run Callender | M |
37 | 6 | 41.15 | Lorna Mahoney | Westerlands | F40 |
38 | 49 | 41.15 | Elsie Downham | Bellahouston | F |
39 | 52 | 41.15 | Don Reid | Westerlands | M50 |
40 | 18 | 41.22 | Nick Greenaway | Glasgow Tri Club | M40 |
41 | 3 | 41.40 | David Duncan | Ochil Hill Runners | M60 |
42 | 30 | 41.58 | Brian Brennan | Westerlands | M60 |
43 | 60 | 42.10 | Keith Mabbott | Royal Navy AC | M40 |
44 | 43 | 42.27 | Colin Dunlop | u/a | M40 |
45 | 17 | 43.02 | Fiona Russell | Glasgow Tri Club | F40 |
46 | 55 | 43.15 | Lettie McDonald | Ochil Hill Runners | F |
47 | 76 | 43.51 | Collette Ashworth | u/a | F40 |
48 | 20 | 44.02 | Sean Monaghan | u/a | MSen |
49 | 7 | 44.57 | Colin Edwards | u/a | M40 |
50 | 12 | 45.05 | Stephen Clarke | u/a | MSen |
51 | 58 | 45.13 | Jeff Roberts | Carnethy | M |
52 | 44 | 45.24 | Andrew Ferguson | u/a | M40 |
53 | 31 | 45.30 | Alastair Cunningham | u/a | M40 |
54 | 33 | 45.34 | Janine Inman | Ochil Hill Runners | F |
55 | 77 | 46.05 | Chris Pearce | u/a | M40 |
56 | 78 | 46.05 | Jon Cooper | u/a | M50 |
57 | 63 | 46.50 | Lisa Blackley | u/a | F |
58 | 27 | 47.33 | Stuart McMillan | u/a | M40 |
59 | 21 | 47.49 | Marie Smedley | u/a | FSen |
60 | 50 | 48.10 | Steve Murphy | u/a | M50 |
61 | 11 | 48.41 | Stephen Johnston | Milburn Harriers | M50 |
62 | 59 | 48.59 | Carol Martin | u/a | F40 |
63 | 4 | 49.09 | Emma Sharp | Milburn Harriers | FSen |
64 | 73 | 49.17 | Brian Bullen | Forth Valley Orienteers | M60 |
65 | 69 | 49.26 | Gillian Stokes | Stirling Tri Club | F |
66 | 70 | 49.26 | Greg Stokes | u/a | M |
67 | 42 | 49.41 | David Walls | u/a | M60 |
68 | 67 | 49.54 | Amber Thomson | u/a | F |
69 | 74 | 49.54 | Kim Stewart | u/a | F |
70 | 38 | 50.01 | Dougie Vipond | Ochil Hill Runners | M40 |
71 | 79 | 50.01 | Morag Fraser | u/a | F50 |
72 | 54 | 50.28 | Ally Stokoe | Westerlands | M50 |
73 | 32 | 50.28 | Linda Cunningham | u/a | F40 |
74 | 13 | 51.06 | Helen MacPherson | Westerlands | F50 |
75 | 2 | 57.28 | Fiona Hutchinson | Westerlands | F60 |
76 | 46 | 61.04 | Esther Symonds | u/a | F |
77 | 56 | 62.25 | Partrica McLaughlin | Westerlands | F60 |
78 | 28 | 75.40 | Laura McMillan | u/a | FSen |
DNF | 22 | Robert Neil | Forth Valley Orienteers | M50 |
Angela Mudge
FoxTrail Winter Running Series, race 1
The weather forecast wasn’t good for this, but as so often happens, we got lucky on Saturday morning and found ourselves in near-perfect conditions for running. Having said that, there was a fair bit of mud around and certain areas of the route were very slippery which made for perhaps a slower pace on those sections.
Alan Renville picked me up (along with a Harmeny runner) and we arrived in plenty of time. Foxlake was very cold, and the lake looked not a bit inviting. I’d run here a couple of times before on a 13km (8.10 miles) course, but the route this time was different, so I was keen to see how times would compare. The Cani-cross runners (or Woodbines, as I call them – what do you call a dog with no legs? Woodbine, as you need to take it outside for a drag. Boom.) were set off around 5 minutes ahead of us and then we were off.
There was a lot of variety on the route, which kept it interesting, and before we knew we were making our way back towards Foxlake. I was in a small group, with another small group ahead of me, and I thought if I could overtake the group ahead, I’d get a top 10 place. It didn’t happen. In fact, I lost a couple of places in the run in. Must keep working on that endurance. However, I was almost 4 minutes quicker than the last time I ran there, in challenging conditions, so a decent day out. Alan Renville wasn’t far behind and sneaked in under the hour.
The results were a bit all over the place at first, and I’m still not sure if they’re correct, as a couple of disqualified runners seem still to be showing and they had the Cani-cross results in here too before adjusting their times, but here they are anyway: https://www.webscorer.com/race?raceid=57945
Foxlake and the John Muir Way is a great location for a run so there are a few more races in the series for you to check it out!
Mike Lynch