On a fine, soft summer’s day on Skye – that is, warm and wet for the runners (moving) and cold and wet for the marshals (stationary most of the time), some 108 hardy hillrunners set off through moor and mist to grind and groan their way up Glamaig, then to skip, skitter or scrape down the scree descent with varying skill and speed.
From the startline at the Sligachan Hotel the conical bulk of Glamaig looks formidable and unrunnable but not so for Finlay Wild, early leader and current race record holder, as he surged up the hill with a 70 metre lead gained in the first 200 metres of the race. Leading the long, multicoloured snake-like line of runners following behind was Brian Marshall – previous nine times winner of the race – with each of the front runners hoping to be one of the likely small handful to get up and back in under an hour. Glamaig Hill Race is described in the book 500 Ultimate Running Races as “one of the toughest races in the Scottish Hill Running calendar” and the race is not one for the faint hearted, with the risk of rock falls from above and the fear of taking a tumble on the unforgiving screes on the descent. Undeterred the runners climb upwards and disappear into the mist.
For the vast array of spectators and the marshals from Carnethy Hillrunning Club seemingly inured to the heavy rain, it’s now a waiting game to see who will emerge from the mist first. The expectation is it will be Finlay so there is some surprise when the first figure spotted is wearing red and not the white and blue of Finlay’s home club of Lochaber. Could Brian be on course to retake his crown? But no, the runner is not in the race and it is Finlay who comes over the horizon and speeds across the boggy moorland to take his fifth victory in 47 minutes – only three minutes outside his record – to be followed minutes later by Brian. Including these two, only six runners finish in under an hour. One, Deeside’s Alan Smith has finished the race under the hour more than 20 times since the first race in 1988. In a unique family treble in the this race, brothers Iain and Andrew Gilmour crossed the line in 5th and 6th place with dad Neil just 10 minutes behind.
Of the 108 who set off in this toughest of races, incredibly all finish, some bloody and bruised, all muddy and wet but most ecstatic and exhilarated at having completed the race. In this its 28th year, the David Shepherd Memorial Glamaig Hill Race is a homage to Harkabir Thapa a visiting Ghurka who in 1899 ran up and down the mountain barefoot in under an hour, and a remembrance of David Shepherd who in conjunction with the Campbell family of Sligachan came up with the concept of this classic race.
Nick Macdonald
Race Director
Results and more…
Carnethies rallied round to marshal the race. Jim and Chris from Edinburgh, Cat and Dani from Inverness, and Big Al who got some of the way, broke down and had to return. Not sure who the plucky marshal at the festive top was but well done!
The worst weather in the UK is currently situated directly over Glamaig. A tiny window of not quite so ghastly arrived just in time for the race. About 150m from the top and 45min in someone asked me if the record was about 45min. Yes; so Finlay was probably winning the race about then. Oh well plod on! A really good long scree run later and a lot of steep grass and I wasn’t quite last, the only consolation was being first (and last) Carnethy V60. So championship points there. Then it really started pouring.
Every runner (and the marshals) got an excellent chillie con carne and a pint of the local brew. I took mine whilst compiling the results from some very delicate and soggy finish sheets.
A surprisingly good turnout given the weather, with a remarkable number of Lochaber runners.
Finlay Wild was 1st in 47.17, Brian Marshall 2nd and Alec Keith 3rd. Amanda Blackhall 1st lady in 1.12.14, Joan Wilson 2nd and Kirsty Yoxon 3rd.
Photos of the race from the Sky Times here and the prizegiving here
Digby
Results:
Position | Race No. | Time | Name | Club | Category | Local | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 28 | 0.47.17 | Finlay | Wild | Lochaber AC | M | |
2 | 106 | 0.56.40 | Brian | Marshall | Haddington Running Club | M40 | |
3 | 111 | 0.58.07 | Alec | Keith | HBT | M50 | |
4 | 49 | 0.58.59 | Alan | Smith | Deeside Runners | M50 | |
5 | 46 | 0.59.17 | Iain | Gilmore | Carnethy | M | |
6 | 45 | 0.59.42 | Andrew | Gilmore | Carnethy | M | |
7 | 7 | 1.00.15 | Stuart | Crutchfield | Lochaber AC | M | |
8 | 56 | 1.01.45 | Hugh | Mackintosh | Lochaber AC | M50 | |
9 | 36 | 1.02.46 | John | Mitchell | Cosmics | M | |
10 | 104 | 1.03.31 | Donald | MacPhie | Unattached | M | yes |
11 | 115 | 1.03.38 | Manuel | Zeller | Carnethy | M | |
12 | 72 | 1.03.48 | Grant | Baxter | Ochil Hill Runners | M40 | |
13 | 99 | 1.04.32 | Gavin | Macmillan | Lochaber AC | M | |
14 | 77 | 1.05.10 | Damian | Gielty | Unattached | M | |
15 | 42 | 1.05.55 | Jonathan | Hardman | Cheshire Hill Racers | M | |
16 | 13 | 1.06.22 | Colin | MacDougall | Tinto Hill Runners | M40 | |
17 | 80 | 1.07.00 | Tay | McCluskie | Unattached | M | yes |
18 | 60 | 1.07.20 | Stephen | Monk | Lochaber AC | M | |
19 | 26 | 1.07.21 | Niall | Till | Skye and Lochalsh running club | M | yes |
20 | 59 | 1.07.39 | Ali | Kennedy | Lochaber AC | M50 | |
21 | 87 | 1.08.01 | Iain | Fraser | Tri Buchan | M50 | |
22 | 98 | 1.09.31 | Keith | Blackhall | Lochaber AC | M40 | |
23 | 96 | 1.09.37 | John | Coghill | Unattached | M | yes |
24 | 24 | 1.09.41 | Fraser | Stewart | Skye and Lochalsh Running Club | M | |
25 | 61 | 1.09.48 | Stuart | Forrest | Highland Hill Runners | M | |
26 | 101 | 1.09.53 | Kenny | Lang | Lochaber AC | M50 | |
27 | 50 | 1.10.05 | Owen | Bass | Deeside Runners | M50 | |
28 | 44 | 1.10.29 | Neil | Gilmore | Carnethy | M50 | |
29 | 79 | 1.11.02 | Niall | McKelvie | Unattached | M40 | |
30 | 21 | 1.11.08 | Markus | Mertens | Lochaber AC | M40 | |
31 | 102 | 1.11.26 | Jack | Ward | Unattached | M | |
32 | 16 | 1.11.51 | Graham | Maclennan | Inverness Harriers | M40 | |
33 | 97 | 1.12.14 | Amanda | Blackhall | Lochaber AC | F40 | |
34 | 62 | 1.12.35 | Stephen | Murchison | Unattached | M | yes |
35 | 35 | 1.12.58 | Robert | MacLean | Lochaber AC | M40 | |
36 | 70 | 1.13.01 | Steve | Popple | Highland Hill Runners | M50 | |
37 | 37 | 1.13.29 | Graham | Kelly | Westerlands CCC | M40 | |
38 | 100 | 1.13.47 | Neil | Burrows | Skye & Kinlochalsh | M40 | yes |
39 | 53 | 1.13.59 | Richard | Macleod | Lochaber AC | M | |
40 | 85 | 1.14.08 | Stuart | Simpson | Stornoway Athletic & Running | M40 | |
41 | 78 | 1.14.11 | Shane | Gielty | Unattached | M | |
42 | 14 | 1.14.11 | Barrie | MacKinnon | Lochaber AC | M | |
43 | 1 | 1.14.21 | Andrew | Shepherd | Carnethy | M50 | |
44 | 113 | 1.15.21 | Don | Reid | Westerlands CCC | M50 | |
45 | 114 | 1.15.36 | Ben | Wear | Skye MRT | M40 | yes |
46 | 69 | 1.15.52 | Graham | Briffett | Highland Hill Runners | M40 | |
47 | 112 | 1.16.03 | Chris | James | Skye & Kinlochalsh | M | yes |
48 | 74 | 1.16.56 | Stephen | Gildea | Unattached | M40 | |
49 | 5 | 1.18.11 | Sergi Cinca | Morros | CLAN CINCA | M40 | |
50 | 109 | 1.18.25 | Matt | Barratt | Unattached | M | yes |
51 | 29 | 1.18.39 | Colin | Wilson | Lomond Hill Runners | M50 | |
52 | 68 | 1.19.53 | Steven | Ord | Cosmics | M40 | |
53 | 17 | 1.20.11 | Robert | MacNeil | Lochaber AC | M | |
54 | 6 | 1.20.25 | Colin | Britton | Lochaber AC | M | |
55 | 30 | 1.20.36 | Joan | Wilson | Lomond Hill Runners | F50 | |
56 | 34 | 1.20.50 | Chris | Mitchell | Unattached | M60 | |
57 | 84 | 1.22.17 | Colin | MacPhee | Unattached | M | yes |
58 | 54 | 1.22.54 | Neill | Macbeath | Lochaber AC | M40 | |
59 | 63 | 1.22.57 | Brian | Macdonald | Lochaber AC | M | |
60 | 90 | 1.23.04 | Kirsty | Yoxon | Unattached | F | yes |
61 | 88 | 1.23.24 | Ross | MacGachey | Unattached | M | yes |
62 | 15 | 1.23.34 | Vikki | MacKinnon | Lochaber AC | F | |
63 | 95 | 1.23.37 | Marie | Meldrum | Lochaber AC | F40 | |
64 | 25 | 1.23.53 | Dave | Till | Skye and Lochalsh running club | M50 | yes |
65 | 103 | 1.24.01 | Laurie | Anderson | Lomond Hill Runners | M50 | |
66 | 93 | 1.24.42 | Callum | Fraser | Lochaber AC | M | |
67 | 108 | 1.24.51 | Sarah | Sutton | Unattached | F | yes |
68 | 64 | 1.25.36 | Callum | Robertson | Unattached | M | yes |
69 | 51 | 1.25.43 | Neil | Grey | Unattached | M | |
70 | 43 | 1.26.40 | Craig | Ball | Unattached | M40 | |
71 | 52 | 1.26.53 | Susan-Jane | Ross | Lochaber AC | F50 | |
72 | 67 | 1.28.53 | David | Duncan | Ochil Hill Runners | M60 | |
73 | 57 | 1.30.13 | Morten | Hansen | Unattached | M | yes |
74 | 73 | 1.30.25 | Scott | Maclucas-Peyton | Unattached | M40 | |
75 | 4 | 1.30.33 | Emma | Britton | Lochaber AC | F | |
76 | 55 | 1.30.35 | Keith | Noble | Unattached | M50 | |
77 | 75 | 1.31.10 | Neall | Inglis | Unattached | M | yes |
78 | 76 | 1.31.21 | Alan | MacRae | Wee Grumpy Runners | M40 | |
79 | 94 | 1.31.29 | Nick | Butterworth | Unattached | M50 | |
80 | 91 | 1.31.34 | Maggie | Davies | Fraserburgh | F | |
81 | 20 | 1.31.34 | Ronnie | McGavock | Bellahouston Road Runners | M50 | |
82 | 41 | 1.31.43 | Murray | Bishop | Watlington | M50 | |
83 | 3 | 1.37.04 | Annette | Bednosky | Unattached | F40 | |
84 | 65 | 1.37.30 | Cheryl | McIntyre | Unattached | F | |
85 | 48 | 1.39.48 | Duncan | Tunstall | Deeside Runners | M50 | |
86 | 105 | 1.41.19 | Marina | Gordon | Unattached | F40 | yes |
87 | 89 | 1.41.20 | Ally | MacLeod | Unattached | M50 | yes |
88 | 11 | 1.41.21 | Katherine | Kirk | ESOC | F40 | |
89 | 2 | 1.41.40 | Digby | Maass | Carnethy | M60 | |
90 | 38 | 1.44.11 | Ray | Murdoch | Lochaber AC | M60 | |
91 | 58 | 1.45.25 | Neill | Campbell | Unattached | M | |
92 | 81 | 1.45.32 | Gordon | Smith | Lochaber AC | M60 | |
93 | 40 | 1.47.20 | Keir | Henderson | Unattached | M | |
94 | 110 | 1.47.30 | Peter | McMaster | Unattached | M | |
95 | 92 | 1.49.44 | Holly | Deary | Unattached | F | |
96 | 27 | 1.52.09 | Brian | Urquhart | Unattached | M60 | yes |
97 | 71 | 1.52.22 | Ursula | Bass | Deeside Runners | F40 | |
98 | 19 | 1.56.45 | Alasdair | MacSween | Skye and Lochalsh | M50 | |
99 | 83 | 1.56.45 | Ali | Wilson | Unattached | M | yes |
100 | 86 | 1.57.47 | Andy | O'Grady | Skye & Kinlochalsh | M50 | yes |
101 | 82 | 1.59.16 | Murray | Anderson | Grenbrittle Giraffes | M40 | |
102 | 47 | 2.02.14 | Kevin | Morris | Sheffield Spitfires | M40 | |
103 | 107 | 2.04.27 | Arriayn | Leighton | Unattached | F | yes |
104 | 32 | 2.14.15 | Sheryl | Innes | Highland Hill Runners | F | |
105 | 10 | 2.14.17 | George | Douglas | Westerlands CCC | M50 | |
106 | 33 | 2.14.18 | Scott | Innes | Highland Hill Runners | M | |
107 | 39 | 2.17.57 | Samuel | Henderson | Unattached | M | |
108 | 66 | 2.44.46 | Callum | Matheson | Unattached | M | yes |