In a last-ditch attempt to get the tops of my arms/shoulders tanned before summer ended, I, along with a decent Carnethy turnout, headed over the bridge for the Lomonds of Fife Hill Race on Sunday.
X runners in total set off from the start, just outside Strathmiglo. The pre-race announcement had been all about the “bum slide”, and how you had to stay on your feet during it. Something to look forward to.
After some jelly babies on the way to and after the summit of East Lomond, I was pleased to note that the long schlep between East and West Lomond was as draining as I remembered it from the Devil’s Burdens – only much hotter in August.
After summiting West Lomond, the bum-slide beckoned, transporting me (mostly) on my feet down to the Bunnet Stane (look it up if you’ve not seen it). A somewhat killer climb after the Bunnet Stane took us back up to a spring where a friendly marshal was on hand with more jelly babies.
Back into the woods and then down a lovely bit of singletrack took us back to the start, which handily doubled as the finish.
Runners were hosted in the village hall afterwards, and treated to a choice of two soups (carrot & lentil and cauliflower) and a variety of scones (including chili cheese). A fantastic spread.
Sasha and Ali finished 1-2 in the men’s race, with Sasha breaking the course record and taking home £50 for his bother. Other Carnethy finishers can be found in the results (pdf).
A great day out in Fife with many thanks to Lomond Hill Runners for their excellent organisation and top-notch catering.
Richard Wilson