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CHAPELGILL HILL RACE
by Gordon Cameron
The day before
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Willie’s email arrived about 4 pm - the Chapelgill Hill
Race was now at Calton Hill, 3 pm Saturday. Well why not? There are not
many races on at the moment due to F & M so let us give it a whirl
I thought. The first hill race in Scotland for 5 weeks so it should be
quite popular.
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The night before
| Cali had a party with quantities of food to
soak up the wine. I headed home about midnight and certainly was not driving! |
The morning before
| Up at 7.30 am to take Dice around Arthur’s Seat
for our weekend morning run. He is getting used to it now but much prefers
the Pentlands - as do I! - then a quick dash out to Dalkeith to collect
the children to take them swimming. 11.30 - off to Myreside for Scott’s
rugby - cancelled due to the weather! |
The afternoon before
| 12.30 - take Kirsty off to party - back for
lunch of soup and bacon rolls. Told Debbie that I might do the Calton Hill
race and that registration started at 2 pm. She went off to Safeway, returning
at 2 pm so we set off for Calton Hill. |
The race itself
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I checked in, paid my £2 for SAF and found I was no.
83. Looked like quite a big field, drizzle had stopped and conditions
were improving. I wondered where the other 80 competitors were, then
I
found that numbers started at 75! There were just over 25 runners.
Off
at 3 pm to Royal Terrace - it was up 72 steps to start with then down
the road to Waterloo Place, back up the Seven Hills
steps, around the back of the Observatory, across the car park and round
the Parthenon towards St James Centre then doubling back and down the
steps to the start. Repeat and finish.
It was short and sharp but I think
I gained a couple of places on the second round and, to my delight, finished
eighth in 16
minutes 15 seconds. I was first Carnethy - where were all the others?
I
was also second vet. Imagine my delight to find I had won a prize! -
my first hill race individual prize as a vet - maybe if
I prepared better I might have been first!
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Results:
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1. Jamie McDonald (Central AC) 13.22
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| 2. Tom Bracegirdle (Cosmic HB) 13.41 |
| 3. Bruce Smith (Standard Life) 14.32 |
| 6. Don Reid (Westerlands CCC) 15.59 1st
vet |
| 8. Gordon Cameron (Carnethy) 16.15 |
| Debbie McDonald 17.56 1st
lady |
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)