39th 'Tiso' Carnethy 5
Photo Report (incorporating organiser's report)
14th February 2009
Having the coldest winter in 20 years, it was not surprising the Pentland Hills were covered in snow. Fortunately the roads were clear (of traffic too, owing to A702 closure!) allowing a record number, 503, to run the 39th 'Tiso' Carnethy 5. They had a great experience racing through soft snow and sliding down the hills as the thaw took hold! Next day - the white stuff would be all but gone. The BBC were filming the race for The Adventure Show and had their crew (all outdoor enthusiasts) scattered over the course, filming and interviewing competitors on the run. The view from the top of West Kip was dramatic as drifting cloud gave glimpses of black dots moving fast over a speckled grey and white terrain. Atmospheric enough for an artist to paint the scene (minus runners) the day before. |
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) 503 runners head towards the bog |
) Nobody has dry feet now! |
) Richard's temporary stile at Charlie's Loup stood up well to the onslaught |
) Colin Pritchard (sweeper/runner) gets to use the gate |
) A snake of runners going up Scald Law (with an unofficial branch off to the side!) |
) The front three near the top of the first climb |
) Rob Jebb (Bingley) and Prasad Prasad (Clydesdale) had cleared a gap by West Kip |
) Andy Symonds (Carnegie) was on his own in 3rd place |
) Geraint Florida-James was first Carnethy home in 11th |
) Brian Marshall (HELP) was 4th |
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) ....a 10 for style |
) The Adventure Show cameraman getting some artistic angles |
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Organiser's Report:
Triple Echo Productions filmed the event for the BBC Scotland Adventure Show (likely to be broadcast in late March to mid April). I was slightly apprehensive of the race being turned into a ‘reality TV’ spectacle, but meeting the crew and seeing they are all committed outdoors people combined with the fact that they had a competitor running in the race suggests it will be reported fairly. I have collected a small mountain of lost property – please get in touch if you are missing anything. |
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) Adam Anderson (Carnethy) |
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| Postscript…
By the end of prize giving I was feeling the warm glow of a good day out in the hills, and the successful culmination of several months work. All that remained for the day was to catch a lift to the airport and travel south to spend half term with my family in London. These happy feelings began to evaporate as the taxi arrived late, and shortly afterwards a sickening feeling washed over me as I realised my wallet containing all my cash, cards and ID was in someone else’s car. I’m not sure if you’ve tried flying without any of these items recently, but it’s probably not recommended in many travel guidebooks. My tight schedule was wrung tighter still by the taxi driver opting for the slowest possible route to the airport and then in a truly comical moment taking a wrong turn altogether heading south instead of north on the ring road (a level of navigational incompetence that previously I thought only I possessed). All the while the minutes were ticking by, and mobile telephone exchanges were melting with the volume of calls being made to reach the driver of my wallet. I reached the airport 25 minutes before departure with my buttocks clenched tighter than a walnut, and still with no wallet. Miraculously the check-in staff let me on with no ID and I sprinted through the concourse to reach the gate being held open specially for me as the very final passenger. I doubt even Rob Jebb could have covered the ground quicker. Now all that remained was to get from Heathrow across to the far side of London with no cash. Luckily the Underground staff were so perplexed by my story (“you were doing what today?!”) that they let me travel free. Moral: it’s easier to organise the Carnethy 5 than travel without any cash or ID. Olly |
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| Carnethy 5 Quotes from Portobello AC website: The school: '.... the smell of deep heat radiating...' Overview: 'Once our equipment was checked, phnaar, phnaar ('no mrs I mean map, compass, whistle etc') we were bused from and returned to Beeslack school in Penicuik, where after the race we were fed a hot school dinner and loads of tea. Hill runners love their grub!' The race: '.. the bog had turned into a wetlands. ... as you rush towards it you feel like one of a herd of wildebeest hoping you're lined up with a decent path through the watery channels and turfy tussocks...' Down to the Howe: '... I found myself sitting and sledging past 2 runners still on their feet. I rather hope the tv camera filming there caught this splendid action and didn't just regard it as “old bloke loses his footing."' |
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