Carnethy members organise a range of social runs, night runs, journey runs, group runs that you can join if there’s no races on or you’re all raced out. If the weather’s bad and you need an incentive to get out, or if it’s great and you fancy somewhere a bit different, there’s often a run to join in led by a Carnethy member.
Explore the drop down menus under ‘Social‘ to see group runs, all with a social aspect.
Many informal runs, swims etc. appear on the ‘closed’ Facebook group page which membership gives you access to. An incentive to join!
If you are new to hill running, information for beginners are covered on the beginners page
Carnethy operates an informal system for leading groups. However here are a few tips, and good things to do, if you are organising or leading a run in a group:
· At the start, summarise the route plan, likely conditions and expected weather.
· Agree what to do if any runner wants to leave the group early – such as telling someone and calling the leader or your buddy to say you are safely off the hill.
· Count how many are in the group and along the way check that you have everyone still.
· Keep a check on those at the back and re-group at regular intervals. Buddy-up slower members, especially if the weather is bad.
Reports…
Taproom Special 2.0
It’s not often that you end up with a brewery all to yourselves to watch a Scotland rugby match, but that’s how the Taproom Special finished this time round. Not sure why Campervan was so quiet but it did mean that a group of slightly soggy runners didn’t offend anyone else and we had the best seats in the house. Rewind 7 hours and 14 of us met at Cross Borders Brewery to ensure we were fully hydrated for a long run visiting a total of 7 brewery taprooms. From the photos at each of the taprooms you’ll see that 4 of us made the full distance, with a few cameo appearances and many opting to run various sections of the route, plus Mark taking his bike over Caerketton. Thankfully the rain never got too heavy, although it may have contributed to quite a few staying to enjoy the comforts of Summerhall rather than continuing. One runner is alleged to have left Stewart’s with all the beer they could carry and gone bikini shopping, before returning to the group in Leith. Was great to finally get to Newbarns as their taproom opening was part of the inspiration for doing the Taproom Special again. Will have to spend longer next time I’m up! Bellfield was also a pleasant surprise as I didn’t know what to expect from a brewery tap tucked away in a housing estate. Thanks to Oz for getting the flight of Oktoberfest beer at Moonwake to share with everyone, and to Elly and Fiona for doing battle with the pizza ordering app to at least get us half a pizza each before it stopped taking orders! A great day out catching up with everyone, and hopefully it won’t be another 5 years between now and the next time we run this route. Approx. 32km with 650m up.
Jeff Roberts
7 Reservoirs Swimrun
Mike Lynch organised this but was crooked and could not run for this annual trip around the Pentland reservoirs.
Based on the half marathon route, but cutting several corners, the route swims across the widths of Torduff, Clubiedean, Harlaw, Threipmuir, Loganlea, Glencorse and Bonaly reservoirs with short runs of up to 4km between them. The total route is about 19km with 1300-1600m of swimming. It took us up to 3.5hrs with some of the group faster.
There are a few variants of the route now with more swimming – like doing lengths of the reservoirs (5km swim, 16km run, 4hrs) or a much more challenging route swimming the circumference or the 7 reservoirs, recently completed by Rob EJ and Rebecca Gentek (14km swim, 21km run, 9hrs 30mins). We are yet to do hill between each swim….
It was a cracking night with great weather and calm flat, 18c water. I think we had 8 people, Rob took the photos but broke his camera sadly, Jasmin and Ellie joined us for four swims, we met the local farmer near Harlaw…oops, Neil Burnett and Rebecca swam extra distances while us slower runners caught up, Barra swam 4 widths totalling 500m and surprising swimmers as he swam past them, Sandra and I ticked Torduff again at the end by moonlight and had chips in Oxgangs to warm up.
A great way to run, or swim, or both. If you do this as an organised event it will cost you about £300. It is free with Carnethy.
Mark Hartree
Slow Sunday Pentlands May
Another lovely morning run round the northern edge of the Pentlands. Eight of us (Nikki, Fiona, Eli, Sorrel, Cathy, Ken, Nick and myself) set out from Cobbs/Craigdon towards the Steading. After a discussion of how the new construction at Hill End will impact various race start finishes (Caerketton, Doonhiller and Skyline) we carried on up to Allermuir following the race route of the Pentland Skyline. At this point we headed towards Green Craig to find a set of paths that I had recced a few weeks ago. The problem was I had approached them from below and as I am still relatively new at leading group runs I made the cardinal error of showing doubt in the route. The helpful group pounced immediatley with multiple routes being offered and claims of knowing the path I was after. On a lovely sunny Sunday morning this was fine and it meant we ran through masses of blooming gorse bushes. We didn’t find the paths I was after (but we will next time…) but many of us learned about a grassy path around Swanston Golf Course thanks to Ken. In the end it was just over 5 miles, 1400 feet of elevatin and 1.5 hours. Followed by coffee and snacks on Cobbs’ sunny patio.
If you fancy something similar come out on Sunday, July 2. Craigdon/Cobbs, 9:00 am. Route TBD.
Sean Walker
Does a Wednesday run get any better?
Having skived off running for a month, I was wondering if this was really a run for me. Fortunately, having put my name in the box, I left it too late to wimp out. Gordon was ‘fresh’ back from Goatfell on Sunday, and sporting a fine new top. Perfectly suited to the evening’s conditions he insisted. Despite being 5 deg C warmer than yesterday, Julia wasn’t entirely convinced, but we all agreed it was shorts weather.
Thus a dozen of us set off as if for Swanston hill reps, with Phillipa noting she’d never been through the T wood before. There followed a short debate about the name. Something to do with the golf course, or originally a Darjeeling plantation your scribe wondered. But no. “It looks like a T from any direction”. If I were being picky, I might point out that would be “any direction except from above”. However, I bow to a greater wisdom that says “T wood” is catchier than “+ wood“.
Does this look like a “T” to you?
After a zig and a zag by the ski slope, we carried up and over Caerketton to Allermuir. While the rate of ascent proved too much for a couple of runners, the remainder enjoyed a warm and gentle wind at the top of Allermuir. Just enough to cool you down.
Allermuir. Even Amber’s smiling.
Gordon hit the perfect note by then steering us round Castlelaw and down to the “Glencose door” the gentle way. After the semi-suicidal route of the recent handicap, this met with universal approval.
A postcard from the Glencorse door
Briefly running alongside the reservoir, some were heard to suggest a wee dip might be nice. Terrible as it was to miss this chance to turn warm body parts to ice, we instead took a sharp right back up the hill. Here there was a split in opinion about how many hills was a good number to climb of an evening. Gordon and the Enthusiasts, a little known 70s prog rock band, took off to add Bells and Harbour. Oliver and the Mere Mortals, a session band rumoured to have played on the OGWT, swung north-west to claim Capelaw and also snuck in Green Craig in the vain hope of being able to say they’d done one Gordon hadn’t. They woz spotted though, so that ploy didn’t work.
The last section took us on a favourite route home, where another photo op presented itself. The response to “give me some action” wasn’t quite that expected. The last of the animation sequence (if it works) required the more detailed “give me some running action”. It was that sort of night. 7 miles and 4 hills in, and still all smiles.
“Give me some action”
About this point the Mere Mortals realised they had donned virtual bunny suits. The Enthusiasts were gaining on them. Engaging downhill overdrive, the Mortals made it home without being overtaken. Not that it was a race, of course.
One of the routes: A bit more than 8 miles and 1700′
Taking the politicians’ approach and answering my own question: “Does it get any better? “No, I don’t think it does”.
Thanks again to everyone who joined in, and to Gordon for organising us.
Pete Cain
March Slow Sunday Pentlands Run
Great weather and a great turnout of eleven Carnethies (Marcel, Nick, Nikki, Ruth, Aileen (sp?), Anne, Carolyn, Neil, Richard, Chris, and myself) for the second slow Sunday run in the Pentlands. We started at Cobbs/Craigdon, crossed the bypass and stayed low along the track to the Dreghorn parking spot. Then we headed away from the bypass onto nicer trails towards the Bonaly carpark and the up in the direction of White Hill. Then cross country towards Capelaw. We contoured around to the east and down to the stile where we met Mark and Barra for a chat and photo. Then up to the summit of Allermuir. My timing/route planning was a bit off so Carolyn and I descended the most direct way towards Swanston and back over to Craigdon in order to get her back in the promised 2 hours. The others carried on across the ridge to Caerketton and down past Hillend. Our large numbers and a crowded cafe meant we were split into two very social groups for post run coffee, cakes and at least one sausage roll. In the end it was about 7 miles and 1200 feet in just over 2 hours.
If you fancy something similar come out on Sunday April 30. Same start point, 9:00 am. Route TBD.
Sean Walker
Spring Bike Tour
A forecast of polar air at 3C from the NE with snow flurries presaged a tough day out. Earlier warnings issued about multiple river crossings needing waterproof socks were largely ignored despite the unavoidable nine river crossings. This led to bizarre cycling breaks to carry out hill reps to restore foot circulation.
We enjoyed brief shafts of sunlight between hail showers. The production of a stove and hot coffee by Craig moderated the chill before the subterranean inspection of Goblin Ha’ in the Yester estate. Entry to the estate was challenged by an extremely grumpy guy trying to stop us frightening the grazing horses, unaware that since 2003 we no longer had any obligation to follow rights of way. He failed. We respected our obligation not to frighten the horses, which enjoyed our company as we negotiated the electric fence maze into the woods.
The subterranean inspection of the tunnel to the defended well from the crypt of Goblin Ha’ was pleasantly mild compared with the blasts of hail up on Lammer law. Further entertainment was provided by warnings of death by gunfire on the shooting range as we re-ascended towards the Soutra wind farms and repeated all the river crossings on the return route. Just as we reached the top of the last climb, Jane punctured. We managed to nurse her back to base with multiple re-inflations to offset creeping hypothermia as the last hail shower blew through.
A bracing seven hour tour for four hours of cycling plus paddling, hill reps and speleology.
42km + 1000m climb.
Jane, Julia, Craig, Gio, Jonathon, Keith
Keith Burns
First Slow Sunday Pentlands
Today was the first of hopefully many Sunday slow social runs in the Pentlands. In the end four of us (Marcel, Nick, Jack and myself) set off from the Criag Don/Cobbs carcarpark. We enjoyed a lovely trot round with good chat and even a few hills. The pleasant weather was briefly interrupted by a snow squall on top of Capelaw. We capped the morning off with a post run coffee (Thanks again Marcel) at a very busy Cobbs. In the end it was almost 7 miles and 1400 feet in just under 2 hours.
If you fancy something similar come out on Sunday 26 March. Same start point, 9:00 am. Route TBD.
Sean Walker