There were 8 races at this year’s Skyline Scotland, starting and finishing at the village of Kinlochleven in Lochaber. The whole weekend is an immense European experience, cowbells, bagpipes, an accordion player on top of Munro playing songs at your request and you don’t even need to leave Scotland. You do however need to cough up a bit of ££s for the entry fees. Most would be happy to pay for good weather and this year we were rewarded with better than 2021.
Many event photos can be found on Instagram and Facebook:
https://instagram.com/skylinescotland?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=
https://www.facebook.com/groups/salomonskylinescotland
Trail races
There were two new trail courses: Mamores Stalker and Lochaber 80. Both part of the https://www.spartantrail.com/world-championship/. $2,500 for winners in these two races! That’s about £2,200 in real money.
Eóin Lennon finished 3rd in the Lochaber 80. Beating the guy in 4th by 7 seconds. Eóin has a good habit of coming out on top in head-to-heads. $1,000 prize – not a bad day at the office.
Dani Lachowicz finished 9th Female in the Lochaber 80 which was now Dani’s 5th ultramarathon.
Skyrunning races
More prestige than big prize money at stake in the sky races.
On Saturday we could watch Naomi Lang crush the Ring of Steall (RoS). Finishing 3rd overall and 1st Female. In 03:55:38, that’s the 5th fastest Female all-time on course.
Finn Lydon was 8th in the RoS. At 20km, may have been feeling the final climbs up Stob Coire a’ Chàirn and Am Bodoch. A section of the course both RoS and Ultra runners get to endure.
Sunday was both the Ben Nevis Ultra and Glen Coe Skyline.
Andy Lamont won the Skyline, with the One Direction song “Story of My Life” stuck in his head for most of the race. This was his 5th year participating in one of these sky races so maybe a fitting song. The accordion player ended the One Direction loop at 35km with “just one cornetto”. Things went better after that with a good split on Aonach Eagach ridge.
In the Ben Nevis Ultra, Rodrigo Lara Molina was the top Carnethy Male finisher in 7th.
Lucy Stanfield improved on 2021 Ben Nevis Ultra time in a perfectly numbered time of 11:11:11.
Rob Owen, Glencoe Skyline – “Cracking day out”.
Paul Newnham, Glencoe Skyline – “Got to be chuffed with that!”.
Alex Coakley, Ben Nevis Ultra – “Happy with that after my summer’s training/injury”.
Fiona Kerray, Ben Nevis Ultra – “YES!!!”.
Other Ben Nevis Ultra finishes in their debuts were Scott Robson and Sebastien Menu.
Andy Rogerson completed the Glencoe Skyline with an unconventional build-up. Hospitalising himself practicing the course earlier in the summer and running the Comrades 90km flat road race in South Africa 3 weeks before.
Race | Distance | Results |
Ring of Steall Skyrace | 29km / 2500m | https://results.opentracking.co.uk/event/ringofsteall22 |
Ben Nevis Ultra | 52km / 4000m | https://results.opentracking.co.uk/event/bennevisultra22 |
Glen Coe Skyline® | 52km / 4750m | https://results.opentracking.co.uk/event/glencoeskyline22 |
Andy Lamont