The day started wet and clagged in but slowly improved and it wasn’t cold. Carnethy fielded 5 teams (F40, F50, M40, M50, MSenior and Mixed) and scored with a MV40 team 1st, and Ian Gilmore with fastest male leg 2. Otherwise a lot of runners up. The stars of the day were undoubtedly the female HBT team who not only were 1st in a record time, but individually were fastest on their respective legs, with Jill Stephen also taking the course record for leg 2.
Leg 3 runners had a very windy and misty time of it. Fortunately marshals were at the crucial turning points – without them runners would most certainly have gone astray. Leg 2 is probably harder to navigate though, and runners were seen passing the same checkpoints more than once. Our mixed team had the advantage of Bob W whose knowledge of leg 2 allowed for no mistakes.
Unfortunately there was a tremendous quantity of amazing cake as well as burgers. I have no self control…
Results here
Digby
Mark Leg 3 M50 team
Landrover track, Landrover track, will you ever end?
Hit the clag and turn another bend,
Yellow sock runner went streaking by,
Followed by a lass, it made me sigh.
Am I getting slower, can I keep the pace?
Digby’s on my tail, he’ll be giving chase,
Marshall in the fog as a compass bearing taken,
There is my first checkpoint, if I am not mistaken.
Follow fence posts and a decent trod,
Over hilly tussocks then sucked into the bog,
Fast descent, if you can run full pelt,
Slower if the knees creak and a burning sensation felt.
Back to the handover, thinking that was a good leg,
Meet Adrian, pass on the baton peg.
Dry clothes changed, times compared and a car key hunt,
Damn, I ran 2mins per km slower than the youthful Mark Lunt!
Mark Hartree
Kathy’s (leg 3 F50) too tired to write anything but here’s some photos…
Nadine (leg 4 mixed team) reports – “After a crash course in using a compass by Jacqui (for some) and fuelled by bacon butties/cakes whatevever floats your boat we legged it up and around Comrie. Highlight was being kept warm by other Carnethys at the handover, traily downhills, and a preposterous spread of tasty traybakes!”
Leg 2 mixed team
The mist made this leg interesting. No noticeably huge mistakes but quite a few minor blunders. I was passed by a few faster runners who had decided to try alternative routes in the mist. Some had groundhog episodes passing me more than once. Descending from the ridge is a combination of skating and avoiding the holes that lure the non focused runner. The last mile along the tarmac road was as awful as ever ever jarring step painfully felt all the way along this section .
Good team tactics got us a well deserved podium position. Well done Amy, Digby and Nadine
Bob W
Fantastic day, beautiful scenery, great ‘Carnethy friends’ companionship, well organised race, route and delicious BBQ and home baking to finish. Even the rain and drizzle didn’t dampen our enthusiasm. Hope to be back next year for more of the same. Will stick with stage 4 and avoid the misty hills and high chances of getting lost!!! Thanks to Hilary for organising our V 50 Team, and being our Chauffeur for the day. Well done to all Carnethy Teams.
Sandra Chandler
1st leg V50
Despite being too old for a V50 team I stepped in as an injury replacement for leg 1. Starting in warm but drizzling conditions it was a very runnable leg which was well marked. Despite keeping Mike L in sight he pulled away from me in the fast second half and I ended up in 12th place but the team took over and we ended 10th and 2nd V40 place. Good effort
Gordon
The teams:
L1 | Sarah Foster | F40 |
L2 | Michelle Hetherington | |
L3 | Jacqui Higginbottom | |
L4 | Fiona Fulton | |
L1 | Hilary Spenceley | F50 |
L2 | Moira Stewart | |
L3 | Kathy Henly | |
L4 | Sandra Chandler | |
L1 | Mike Lynch | M40 |
L2 | Alan Renville | |
L3 | Duncan Davis | |
L4 | Noel Tomnay | |
L1 | Gordon Cameron | M50 |
L2 | Harry Gilmore | |
L3 | Mark Hartree | |
L4 | Adrian Davis | |
L1 | Alan Risk | MS |
L2 | Iain Gilmore | |
L3 | Mark Lunt | |
L4 | Sandy Morrison | |
L1 | Amy Capper | Mixed |
L2 | Bob Waterhouse | |
L3 | Digby Maass | |
L4 | Nadine Thomas |