We need to talk about Carnethy Youngsters.
Not that long ago, you were a ‘youngster’ if your age didn’t begin with a ‘4’. Now there is a wave of youthful, fast Carnethy runners who have quickly become so widespread they seem to be literally breeding.
This is a good thing, obviously – and the ferocious post-Isle of Jura Fell Race stone-skimming contest was an example of the enthusiasm, whole-heartedness and competitiveness they bring to our club.
At the top of Beinn Shiantaidh, the final Jura Pap and the penultimate hill checkpoint, a mere 118 seconds separated the Carnethy four of Ali Masson, Felix Wilson, Dan Ashwood and Tim Morgan. The race was on: the golden generation battling it out for individual glory on the scree ramps of the 50th anniversary event, famed as ‘one of the toughest challenges in British hill racing’.
Meanwhile, up ahead, Ambleside AC’s Jack Wright, was descending, scarcely two minutes ahead of Tim. But, in a step and a tumble, it was all over – for Jack and for the pursuing Carnethy Youngsters. Jack’s fall led to a concertinaing of the field. If you ask them, Ali, Felix, Dan and Tim will tell you what happened next from their perspectives, but, in brief, they sacrificed their races for the wellbeing of another. Jack would eventually be airlifted to a mainland hospital; Ali and Tim resigned themselves to DNFs; Felix and Dan continued having done all they could to help, but not in a way that was any longer competitive. (It should be mentioned that Shettleston’s Harry Pulham was also part of the group that went to the aid of Jack, effectively ending his race too.)
Westerlands won the team race, but at the prizegiving the club’s runners told the organiser to pass the prizes onto Carnethy. But a bottle of beer is insufficient, really. Carnethy Youngsters might claim they were doing what any one of us would have done, but those are merely words about theoretical occurrences; what Ali, Felix, Dan and Tim did was act – act in a way that was selfless and composed, on a day and in a race that meant a great deal to them.
Some 23 Carnethies raced at Jura; numerous other members of the Carnethy family were there, too, helping on the hills and supporting fellow runners. Apart from Angela Mudge and Stewart Whitlie, who won their respective age categories, there were no other club winners. (New recruit Ellie Johnstone won the women’s race, but was wearing the colours of Pennine Fell Runners.) Nonetheless, rarely have we been so proud to be associated with Carnethy Hill Running Club, proud to be associated with Carnethy Youngsters and – without sounding like a paternal Carnethy Older Person – proud to be associated with people like Ali, Felix, Dan and Tim.
Jonny Muir