After two weeks off training due to the lurgy, a hill race seemed like the perfect way to get right back into it…
The south of Scotland is a bit of a forgotten gem when it comes to hill and trail running, so I was surprised to see another Carnethy vest at the start line of Screel hill race. It turns out that Chris Tinning is also a Doonhamer and, like me, he was combining a trip home with a run up this lovely wee hill.
This is the lowest tech of races. There’s no website, no online entry – just turn up on the day, pay a fiver and you’re in.
The gun went off at 1pm and 54 runners set off on the 6.4km route (well, 53 runners – one, whose surname is also McKay, showed up late and started 5 and a half minutes after the rest of us…).
The route heads straight up a fire road, before reaching a short climb through some forestry. You then pop out for some more climbing (around 400m in total for the race) and glorious views over the Solway Firth. Screel, like nearby Criffel, is notoriously boggy, and there’s a bit of negotiation of mud and puddles to do along the ridge before reaching the true summit.
The route takes you down a different side of the hill, first along another fire road for a welcome fast descent before heading back up hill again, with a bit of scrambling this time. The route then rejoins where we left it on the way up at the forest, and thereafter follows the same route back down.
Andrew Cox of Moorfoot Runners was first home in 33:56, with Jill Stephen of HBT first woman in 36:55. Chris was first Carnethy in a time of 51:21, followed by me three places later in 56:19. The first (and probably last) time I’ll get to claim the title of second Carnethy, so I’m happy with that!
Lauren McKay