Carnethy Club Handicap Series & Reports 2017 |
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There is one Handicap race every month from April to September. Points are awarded to the finishers depending on the time percentage you are behind the leader. Handicapper Phil Young has inherited Willie Mykura’s secret formula for working out handicaps (which takes into account recent form) and he has changed it to make it even more fool proof (ie proof from excuses and tactics from runners who think they can beat the system!). First timers who need a handicap (or for any other handicapping questions) please contact the handicapper. As well as a good race, there is the social conviviality of a shared meal afterwards. PS – don’t underestimate your ability to get lost! Print out the map and bring a compass. If in any doubt buddy up or bring a phone and leave your number. There will generally be an organised recce on the Sunday before. An email will be sent out. Lots of advice here Beginners Hill Running | Beginners Racing There is full history of handicaps at the foot of the page |
Previous Years’ Handicaps
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• numbers will be provided •
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If you aren’t running please help by coming along and recording finishers |
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Date
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First Start
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Location/Parking
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Start List
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Afters
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Results
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Director/contact
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Apr 12
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7pm
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The Steading, Menu (doc)
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May 17
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7pm
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Newlands Church | The Gordon Arms | Ross Christie | ||||||||||||||||||||
Jun 14
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7pm
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Harlaw | Grey Horse Inn | Results | Euan Boyd | |||||||||||||||||||
Jul 19
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7pm
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Start Park at village hall and walk/run up to start |
The Laurel Bank | Matt Davis | ||||||||||||||||||||
Aug 16
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7pm
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Bonaly | BBQ at Colinton Inn | Jeff Roberts | ||||||||||||||||||||
Sep 20
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6:30pm
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start times | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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Excellent food at the Northfield House Hotel for the prizegiving. The labels on the wine not actually reflecting the vintage but a spreadsheet mishap. I went for the 2012 personally. Congratulations to Andrew Nash who is the first junior winner of the trophy. |
Handicap Reports 2017Scroll down for individual race results and reports
Final standings after 6 rounds:
AprilBoghall handicap
A cold sunny evening with a blast of wind that chilled the fingers and made the long haul up the valley a bit of a struggle. But it was nice and dry, which is very unlike Boghall. Great turnout with 58 runners. Euan Burns did a personal Where’s Wally in what is turning out to be a theme, in spite of recceing the route. I have to admit my handicap was very favourable and I came in 1st after a determined battle at the finish with Ryan Forgie in 2nd, and Richard Chandler 3rd. Still, I reckon it is a reward for 6 months of dieting and training, going from lardbucket to runner once more. No doubt Phil will make a painful adjustment for the next handicap!
Digby May
A lovely evening and a very scenic course with not too much ascent, which is fine by me! Euan B went missing, but he fool us good, he no show up in the first place. Bill went wrong, in the worst possible place, by descending directly down from the fort and crossing the out of bounds gate and field right in front of the farmhouse. Pretty sure everyone else went the right way though so hopefully the farmer didn’t notice. JuneHarlaw handicapThe first 3 finishers were:
JulyBroughton Handicap
Race director Matt Davis’ report: 36 folk turned up for this years Broughton Bash. The days earlier low cloud lifted for the race to add to a pleasant evening’s start. Runners took an array of variants up the first climb avoiding the classic snake line up, the optimum line clearly still to be worked out. Those of us at the start/finish could see the distant specks and a distinct solar flare of Messrs. Burnett climbing Hammerhead as the forecasted showers arrived pretty much on time ensuring hanging around at the finish wasn’t quite as convivial as it could have been. Nearly everyone got the new finish right, clearly a recce, reading the map or not listening to those subversive voices could have made all the difference but taking the more direct line didn’t benefit in the end. Post race note. Don’t feel intimidated about running a handicap if you fancy it, there’s great support in the club and people really enjoy the trip to run in other peoples back yards. The worst bit for me, writing everyone’s name down (correctly) 🙂 Many and varied were the routes taken up the first hill. It all looks so simple from the start, and there was plenty of comment as runners spread all over the hillside. It’s another matter when you are in the thick of the heather on the slope trying to find a good trod. One the fence is gained it’s good running all the way to the finish, barring some steep ascents or route failure (Phillipa took a detour or two). The weather was quite a contrast to the sunshine of the day before, but the clag at least kept off most of the tops. The promised rain started lightly and by the time we were in the excellent Laurel Bank (top marks for perfectly warmed roll with the soup) it was teeming down. Which may be why the finish recording camera went on strike. Strava flyby page for Broughton Handicap Don’t forget the Club has a Strava group – details here Provisional results:
AugustThe handicap formerly known as Dreghorn
A large turnout for a remarkably windy handicap. It was a battle ascending Allermuir in the teeth of a gale and at various points we were lashed by bullets of rain. Lovely fast descent on the ‘Scalextric’ track. The Strava flybys show some woeful routefinding, including the President – who knows these hills like the back of his hand – who must have been shouting Sandra back onto the correct route. One would imagine. Richard took an extravagant excursion, turning right far too early. There’s an interestingly graphic route variation at the start. A lot of people lost time taking an unnecessary detour at Dreghorn to go the other side of the wall and wood. Afters at the Colinton Inn where the ‘chef’ had as much success with the barbecue as I normally do, and finally retreated indoors to grill the food, which improved it no end. But the ale was excellent and everyone seemed happy! Thanks to Jeff for organising. Results
Go through the gate to the left of the road/track at Dreghorn (CP 1) and follow a trail parallel to bypass then right up through the woods. At the top cross a wall and go through a gate on the main track round towards Hillend (CP 2). There’s another gate on the way round but probably quickest just to climb over it. At a left bend in the track go right up a grassy slope to another gate (so not the wooden one in front of you). Follow the path up and at a large rock on your left look for a trod heading up and round the hill. Even if you miss it you should still end up round at the same point. The path goes straight up Allermuir from here with the wall on your right. Summit of Allermuir (CP 3) to Capelaw (CP 4) is straightforward. At Bob’s post follow the path down towards the reservoir and run along the top of the dam then round to a gap in the trees (direct line straight across the reservoir is also permitted but there will not be a lifeguard on duty).
Cross the stile (CP 5) and go down the trail known as “Scalextric” to the corner of the woods. Cross the fence and continue down the path then under the pylons on a wide track down the valley (slight change from the main map) until you come out at the main track and return to Bonaly. Close any gates you open, or if you are the last in a group. SeptemberArthur’s Seat handicap
A gentle smirr of rain and the early onset of darkness did nothing to deter almost 40 stalwarts turning up for the final handicap of the season. Whilst Phil hid in the back of his van pretending to get changed to run, I fielded the usual protests about ludicrous handicaps being allocated to anyone the complainer was expecting to beat or to be beaten by. As Race Director I’ve developed the ploy of agreeing completely with the complainer whilst assuring them that all will come good and even itself out in the next handicap which of course it won’t and won’t be calculated on their current performance but how well they do in next year’s Carnethy 5 should they do it. Otherwise it’s the Carnethy 5 performance they pushed to get a decade ago or whenever they last ran it. Given the nights are drawing in the Arthur’s Seat handicap always starts at 6.30pm, half an hour earlier than the others but not everyone reads all their emails. “Bit quiet” exclaimed Heather when she turned up “early” at 7pm after everyone else was off. Still undeterred she took a number and set off knowing with both of us knowing she’d be out in the dark. The route is simple as there isn’t one so maybe that’s why there’s confusion every year. You simply have to visit the tops in a set order and choose your optimum route in between. So basically it’s start at the east end of St Margaret’s Loch and choose which shore you want to run along, although occasionally some actually opt for a Queen’s Drive rather than a Duke’s Walk. If the latter, a cut up before Haggis Knowe and straight up the Dry Dam serves well but there are various options on the final approach to the summit and on how to leave the summit to head across to Crow Hill – back and down a bit or straight across? So, neither hill or Nether Hill means you’ve gone wrong. Its the same with leaving Crow Hill with the direct path tussocky and tough as opposed to the longer but smoother, back and down route. Dunsappie Crag is straightforward unless you want to swim but Whinny Hill still seems to cause confusion because there is little to distinguish between the two tops except height of course but you might need to lie down to judge – and maybe just want to do that at this point – but it’s the right hand top as you approach from Dunsappie. That is, not the one you think or want it to be. Its the other one, honest. It’s here the real route choice comes in and the race decides who pays the piper. Most head off to cut across then dash down the Piper’s Walk, some drop off down the gully due West hoping not to get bogged down but all depends upon preference and perceived abilities. No wonder people cock it up, although nobody did that this year obviously. Did they? In Autumn heather grows dark and we began to worry about our own Heather as she was last off and late back as it grew very dark, so I was relieved to see the weaving and winding of her head torch light as she descended the crags then running into the finish minutes later, strong and cheerful. My thanks to all who helped but remember if it all goes pear shaped hereafter it’s Phil’s fault, or the Committee’s but not mine. The race is mine and yours, the immediate results ours too unless Phil loses them again but the final outcomes are another province. Next week sees the prizegiving for the handicap series and the Alt C5 at the Northfield House Hotel. As we reach the culmination of our racing year its the place to be to reminisce about what’s been did and what’s been hid. See you there. Results:
I told you Whinnie Hill can be elusive! Strava bares all. Well not all but several – including Steve Best and ‘Murf’, whoever that might be – found, no, didn’t find Whinnie Hill top. Strava flybys reveal all here. A lot of people took suboptimal routes – doing the Monday Arthur’s seat runs and handicaps certainly pays off here. Note to webbers: The shortcode for adding each handicap is [ic_add_posts ids='xxxx'] where xxxx is the post’s ID. |
Handicaps history
2017 | Boghall | Romanno Bridge | Harlaw | Broughton | Bonaly | Arthurs |
2016 | Boghall | Swanston | Cloich Hills | Harlaw – Bells, Black | Cademuir | Arthurs |
2015 | Boghall | Meldons | Eddleston | Gladhouse | Dreghorn | Arthurs |
2014 | Boghall | Dreghorn | 9 Mile Burn | Portmore Loch | Red Moss | Arthurs |
2013 | Boghall | Dreghorn | Lammerlaw | Broughton | Meldons | Arthurs |
2012 | Boghall | Eddleston | Red Moss | Broughton | Carlops | Arthurs |
2011 | Boghall | Meldons | Flotterstone | Broughton | Hungry Snout | Arthurs |
2010 | Boghall | Eddleston | Flotterstone | Hungry Snout | Swanston | Arthurs |
2009 | Boghall | Portmore Loch | Meldons | Hungry Snout | Swanston | Arthurs |
2008 | Boghall | Portmore Loch | Meldons | Lammerlaw | Carlops | Arthurs |
2007 | Boghall | Meldons | Ravensheugh | Romanno Bridge | Carlops | Arthurs |
2006 | Boghall | East Cairn Hill | Ravensheugh | Lammerlaw | Portmore Loch | Arthurs |
2005 | Bonaly | Romanno Bridge | Ravensheugh | Lammerlaw | Portmore Loch | Arthurs |
2004 | Carnethy 21st ?? | Romanno Bridge | Ravensheugh | Lammerlaw | Tinto | Arthurs |
2003 | Silverburn | Peebles | Ravensheugh | Lammerlaw | Carlops | Arthurs |
2002 | Corstorphine Hill | Peebles | Ravensheugh | Lammerlaw | Romanno Bridge | Arthurs |
2001 | Corstorphine Hill | Ravensheugh | KB | Red Moss | Meldons | Boghall |
Results pages only before 2001. Search old site with name and year to find them. | ||||||
2000 | Boghall | Ravensheugh | Romanno Bridge | Carlops | Red Moss | Arthurs |
1999 | Boghall | Peebles | Ravensheugh | Carlops | Baddinsgill | Arthurs |
1998 | Boghall | Peebles | Ravensheugh | Carlops | Baddinsgill | Bonaly |
1997 | Gladhouse | Scotlandwell | Ravensheugh | Peebles | Carlops | Hillend |
1996 | Arthurs | Peebles | Ravensheugh | Carlops | Red Moss | Hillend |
1995 | Bonaly | Ravensheugh | Carlops | Peebles | Lamancha | Hillend |
1994 | Bonaly | Ravensheugh | Carlops | Peebles | Hillend | Red Moss |
1993 | Red Moss | Carlops | Bonaly | Ravensheugh | Carnethy | |
1992 | Hillend | Ravensheugh | 9 Mile Burn | Red Moss | Dreghorn | |
1991 | Hillend | Ravensheugh | Lammerlaw | 9 Mile Burn | Flotterstone | |
1990 | Hillend | Ravensheugh | Lammerlaw | Balerno | Portmore Loch | |
1989 | Hillend | Ravensheugh | Lammerlaw | Hillend |
Note to webbers: to keep the generic link to handicaps page as /handicaps/ at year end clone this page as handicaps-*year* with Parent ‘handicaps’, and add the link to the drop down dates. Then edit this page to reflect the new current year. Don’t change the (hidden) title or the link will change. The shortcode for adding each handicap is (square bracket)ic_add_posts ids=’xxxx'(square bracket) where xxxx is the post’s ID (and wrap it in square brackets [ ]).
You can find the post ID by editing it and looking at the address or clicking ‘Get shortlink’ and noting the number.