After Ken’s email about the start of the Carnethy Handicaps and April’s Race around the Woodhouselee Rewind (Race Date – 19th April) I thought I had better recee another race route planned for North Berwick in July.
Having set the NB race idea, Keith Burns and his daughter had checked it out, but I wanted to double check how it will work as a handicap. It turns out to be quite a fun route with a range of running types including a soft sandy beaches, wiggly coastal trails, golf couse edges, some scrambling on slippery rocks if you pick the wrong line, cracking wee coves with various line choices, and that is in the first 2km!
We had a cold bitter wind with big rolling waves better suited to surfers. We decided a marker might be helpful to mark where to leave the beach to head up to the road. After the first road crossing is a long section on field edges, through some lovely woods and some stretches which will force you to run faster with your quarry in your sights and, no doubt, heavy breathing behind you.
Basically, you turn right after the woods and aim for North Berwick Law which for us was shrouded in a cold grey mist. Its ascent is by whichever route you choose and the descent back to the Sealife Centre gives various options including the John Muir Way, parks or housing estates.
We finished and cooled quickly in the North wind and grabbed a Fish and Chips lunch.
Woodhouslee Rewind starts from the 5th-19th April. Most handicaps benefit from a reccee if you are not sure of the route and I recommend this, including the next race for the best line line off Castlelaw!
Thanks to Keith and Ali for joining me yesterday and enjoy the 2023 Handicap Series.
Mark Hartree