helensburgh half marathon

Things to do on a dreich Sunday morning:-

1) Lie in bed nursing a hangover from too many beers in the pub last night.

2) Lie in bed nursing a hangover from too much wine at the restaurant last night.

3) Get up, get the Sunday papers, and laugh at this week's crazy suggestion for a walk from Cameron McNeish. ("Start at Ullapool. Go north, avoiding humanity and even known paths. Take a tent...". Moron.)

4) Run the Helensburgh Half Marathon in the pishing rain.

One of the above is the wrong option. Guess which one I picked?

A small field of perhaps around 200 assembled in downtown Helensburgh for this pleasant wee jaunt along the northern bank of the Clyde Estuary, past the Naval Base and associated protest camp, and back down to the more residential areas of the town.

Conditions were ideal for running, with no real wind to speak of, but enough movement of air to keep you cool. Plus rain. And even more rain. It is the West of Scotland.

Given the good conditions and a course so flat it makes the Netherlands look hilly, there was really no excuse for me not to card a PB, which I duly did. This was only my second Half Marathon ever, after getting 1:32:33 at Alloa in March, so I was well pleased to knock my time down to 1:26:30. Certainly not Upson-esque, but a worthwhile improvement.

As usual, I have no clue who won it, but I did recognise Kenny Richmond running comfortably in third place as I headed up to the turn at 5 miles, and the leaders were already heading back.

OK, I promise to stop messing around on the tarmac for now. Aiming to do Caerketton and Red Moss in the next couple of weeks to get a Bog and Burn placing for the series.

Posted by Johnston Orr on Sun 5 Aug 2007 | 4 comments

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