The winter 2023 edition of the Journal is available online here.
As I mentioned before I would like to get back on track for 2024. Please send any content for the Spring 2024 Edition to me by April 15. journal@carnethy.com
Sean Walker
Filed Under: News
The winter 2023 edition of the Journal is available online here.
As I mentioned before I would like to get back on track for 2024. Please send any content for the Spring 2024 Edition to me by April 15. journal@carnethy.com
Sean Walker
Filed Under: News
Filed Under: News
The new handicaps season starts on the 3rd April with ‘Two-Faced Allermuir’. Full details on the Handicaps page!
Filed Under: Other Races
Britain’s steepest race delivered its usual joy today and Carnethy scooped up much beer in prizes…..
Iain Gilmore 3rd overall
Neil Gilmore 1st MV60
Brian Howie 2nd MV70
Nicki Innes 1st FV50
The rain, like last year, stayed off until the prize giving. A lovely wee afternoon out was had by all.
Nicki Innes
Filed Under: News
The final one of this season’s Borders Cross Country Races was held in a mudfest at Galashiels last Sunday. The Borders series likes to boast it is ‘real’ cross-country and that was definitely true for this race. It had everything cross-country should – mainly lots and lots of mud (it was also cold and drizzly) ! But also thrown in were 5 stream crossings, one of which had a rope across, stiles, steep hills and slippy descents, forest paths and fields. All within 4 miles. This race didn’t count for the overall series, but was just for fun (!) and so that people would turn up for the series prize-giving which was held afterwards. However, the Carnethy crew obviously loved the conditions as we did rather well. Hollie Hindley was 1st woman, Rosalind Heron 3rd woman and Claire Jellema 5th woman – special mention to Claire who had made some amazing cookies for club members in the shape and colour of Carnethy vests, complete with race numbers – they looked almost too good to eat, but they were too delicious not to eat ! Back to the leading men, who ran as a pack, finishing nearly together : 3rd (Iain Gilmore), 4th (Jack Trevail), 5th (Rob Owen), 6th (Andrew Lamont) and 7th (Andy Macrae) – all within about 30 seconds! Andrew Lamont was 1st O/40 and Andy Macrae 1st O/50. Among other Carnethies was Harry Gilmore, who was 3rd O/60, and Robin Sloan, 3rd O/70.
In the overall series, our winners were Hollie Hindley who was first female (and first Senior Woman) and Andy Macrae first O/50. Other podium positions were Carole fortune (2nd O/60), Hilary Spenceley (3rd O/60), Rosalind Heron (3rd Senior Woman), Harry Gilmore (3rd O/60) and Robin Sloan (3rd O/70).
Race results: https://www.webscorer.com/race?raceid=345173
Series results: https://www.webscorer.com/seriesresult?seriesid=334566
Andy Spenceley
Filed Under: Junior
Carnethy Kids had an enthusiastic reboot with 16 children of club members taking part in a fun training hour at Bonaly Country Park. After a warm up, the group – aged 3 to 13 – scaled Torduff Hill and descended grassy slopes for an up-and-down paarlauf of mixed-aged pairs. The group then put their climbing and line-selecting skills to the test by clambering back up Torduff Hill.
Jonny Muir
Filed Under: Mountain Marathons
2024 would be our 5th entry to the TransGrancanaria series of trail races. The races now range from a VK to the Classic which is 126km from one side of Gran Canaria to the other, with lots of options in between and tend to be held during the last week of February.
Billy and I had entered the marathon (my garmin measured closer to 30 miles than 26!) It seems to be a thing that European trail distances are always a rough approximation. The Normand family were also out in force with Will entering the 21km (still no mean feat with 1400m of ascent). Rachel meanwhile had entered the Advanced race or 84k and had a stormer of a race finishing in 11th place (continuing to prove she was a worthy recipient of the Carnethy Goat trophy!)
Conditions were pretty tough with temperatures touching 30 degrees in the heat of the day (I complained to a fellow runner I had left temperatures of around 5 degrees at home but turns out he was from Finland and had left -20!) The terrain can be technical, you don’t want to fall on volcanic rock, but the scenery more than makes up for it. The aid stations are also great, never have oranges and tomatoes tasted so good.
The race series is now sponsored by the North Face and as a finisher everyone received a really good quality jacket – definitely worth the €80 entry fee. The races are friendly and well supported by the local people with cries of “vamos” and “animo” ringing out along the course. And who needs an excuse to get away for some winter sun, so why not sign up for next year. And it also helps with motivation during those long winter months, giving you “Una Meta, un Sueno!”
Cheers!
Dorothy and Billy
Filed Under: Training
As far as I’m aware, there is no manual for hill reps, you just make up a routine that totals 20 minutes, and hope you don’t lose anyone (well, not more than one, absolute tops).
Given it was dry and not windy, it seemed it was about time to make it a reps “journey” up Allermuir. It was a decent turn out for a Tuesday. Slightly belatedly I did a count, and found there were 11 of us.
Not quite remembering the recipe used by the ‘master’, aka Gordon, we set off on a 30, 60, 90 ladder, aiming to finish at the top after the 20 minutes were up. After each rep, the deal was for those at the front to come back to the second last runner.
Well, after 15 minutes we were all admiring the panorama plaque, and the only way was down. This was despite delaying tactics, resetting the time on my watch, and not blowing the right end of the ‘stop’ whistle a couple of times.
So now something else was needed. We invented a new rule: Down 1 minute, back up for 2, and circle back round again if you manage to do that. For the historical record, the algorithm to really make this work has to be way more nuanced.
Anyway, it did the trick, everyone was still there, and most showed off a bit of leg for the photo. It must be Spring.
Pete Cain
Carnethy Hill Running Club is a company limited by guarantee incorporated in Scotland with registered number SC492072 and having its registered office at 35 Damhead Holdings, Pentland Road, Edinburgh EH10 7EA