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Two Breweries Hill Race

The 25th running of the Two Breweries saw an impressive win for Bog & Burn Champion Alasdair Anthony, not normally renowned for tackling the longer hill races.

I did my usual leading out of the field for the first half mile or so, before letting the real leaders take over. I have never seen such chaos on the initial climb Grieston Hill with runners scattering in all directions. The organisers really should flag a proper route up this hill with an intial checkpoint at the summit of Grieston Hill. This would prevent the Moorfoot runners from cheating and flagrantly dis-obeying the instructions at the start by cutting across fields that are out of bounds.

It would also help if there was a flagged descent off Birkscairn Hill, but I guess that isn't in the ethos of the race. Somehow this year I took my worst ever line off Birkscairn, and ended up fighting through far more heather and marsh than normal and ending up at Glensax completely exhausted, having lost about 10 places. I more or less gave up at this point and relaxed into the climb up Hundleshope, not bothering to really chase anyone down.

Bit by bit as the race went on I started to feel better, and by the time I reached the long forest track after Stobo I was having a full-blown second wind, and managed to pass a few runners and chase down Mark Johnston, who I caught at the summit of Trahenna. Mark promptly flew away from me on the descent, but I was pleased to jog down to the finish in 3:10:20 without dropping any more places.

12 Westies completed the race:

10, Manuel Gorman 3:01:13

11, David Riach 3:02:18

20, Chris Upson 3:10:20

49, Don Reid 3:35:06

53, John Donnelly 3:37:09

94, Keith Adams 4:04:35

111, Catriona Miller 4:12:29

120, Ellen Homewood 4:17:54

132, Elspeth Scott 4:26:18

138, John Hamer 4:29:56

172, Brenda Paul 4:59:58

174, Amy Pitch 5:00:00

Full results

Posted by Chris Upson on Mon 29 Sep 2008 | 21 comments

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Comments

  1. Stewart Barrie said...

    Re: Flagging parts of the course. Don't do it! - its a hill race after all. You can get your flags in 10ks, Road Races and XC if thats your bag!

    Monday 29th September 2008 3.06pm

  2. Chris said...

    Well they already have 2 sections of the course flagged: 1 off Stob Law, and 1 through the forest to Whitelaw. I'm sure these both help reduce lots of cursing and folks going the wrong way! I think the flagging off Stob Law is to prevent runners cutting across farmland to Glenrath Farm, although that didn't stop one runner I saw emerging well away from the flagged section...

    And without the flagged section in the forest, many runners would never find that firebreak... For me it changed the complexion of the route by missing out Grieston Hill at the start. The previous 6 years, I've always gone over that hill. Thrashing round the side of the hill through high bracken didn't improve the route, or add any real advantage.

    Monday 29th September 2008 3.26pm

  3. Stewart Barrie said...

    I'm just biased as I took a good line to the right of Grieston Hill summit which allows you to stay fairly low and its not rough underfoot - not that it made much difference given my position in the race.

    Monday 29th September 2008 4.11pm

  4. Chris said...

    Och well. I'll maybe discuss with Pete & Elsie sometime and see what they think.

    Monday 29th September 2008 4.14pm

  5. Stewart Barrie said...

    Elsie & Pete - resist his demands. Leave the intervention to the economy!

    Monday 29th September 2008 6.15pm

  6. Keswick John said...

    Since you are both my friends I'll agree and disagree with both of you. I agree if you are told not to go somewhere you should not go there. Maybe a reel of tape or a conspicuously placed and intimidating looking marshall might do the trick to steer people up the hill. If you marked the route off Birkscairn you would have to provide different coloured arrows for those of a gully persuasion and those who want to veer off to the right and pick up the trod - so nil points for that idea. However, without putting markers up in the forest up Whitelaw there would still be lost souls in there by the time the Manor Water race comes round in a couple of weeks. Interesting to note from other website reports how many people did have trouble with navigating committing the cardinal sin of following the bloke in front cos he looks as though he knows where he is going. Third time I have run this race and have taken different lines at some point in every race, all adds to the variety of life but generally does not make me go any faster for which I squarely lay the blame on my legs.

    Monday 29th September 2008 8.27pm

  7. PeakRodent said...

    Didn't the instructions at the start say:

    No turning left once out of the main gates and heading up through Glen Ho andNo entry into Forestry Commision land?

    They never said a thing about the Gully/Cleuch on the left of Grierson....they did say the word conventional route but that's open to interpretation!

    Monday 29th September 2008 8.48pm

  8. Manny said...

    Open to interpretation my arse! Ever since the conception of this race it quite obviously went over the top.This was the first time I saw such deviation. Dave R & me were the first 2 over the top and I can assure you it is most definetely slower; we only came back into the pack about 30th odds, and to me certainly contradicts Bill's polite instruction for everyone to go over. (but the Moorfoot boys were taking the pi** by blatantly going left through the fields - shame on you both,really) Glen Sax mmm? I reckon it should be left untouched - make your own way down & up, this coming from the muppet who chose wrong and waded up the middle through all the deep heather, but hey tht's my own fault!Enough of that stuff, a hearty thank you to Bill, Susan and the fantastic team that have driven the Breweries to such long running success over upteem Scottish & British championship counters and of course some of the best post race parties ever seen. Thanks for a classic race.

    Well done to both Amy & Brenda for epic runs to sneak the 5 hour goal!!Superb runs also noted by Chris, Don & JD pulled a cracker out the bag.Westies managed to nick 2nd team from the Boggies by one point and hence extra beer!!Well done Westies!

    Monday 29th September 2008 10.14pm

  9. Don said...

    Why not put a checkpoint on that first hill.? Solves all the problems including the moorfoot guys chasing sheep.

    Monday 29th September 2008 10.39pm

  10. Dave said...

    Hear Hear to Manny's comments; well done to Bill, Susan (and Frank beforehand) for establishing this as a brilliant race.

    Let's hope the Westies site isn't going to be hijacked by zealots ranting on about whether hill races need to be flagged or not (Zzzzzzzzzzz)...there are plenty other clubs suitable for those type of people . Surely we're above all that purist nonsense...our own nonsense is so much more entertaining??

    Tuesday 30th September 2008 1.35pm

  11. scott upson said...

    here, here dave.next on the agenda... does anyone else, like me, think there are generally too many uphill sections in hill races. is there any way around this. can races henceforth be run on flatter hills. are there flat hills with downhill finishes.

    Tuesday 30th September 2008 7.17pm

  12. Nigel Riach said...

    I believe they have a good mid week hill race series based arround the Norfolk broads.

    Tuesday 30th September 2008 7.35pm

  13. City runner in the hills said...

    Good idea Mr S Upson. I suggest a downhill only Ben Nevis race with helicopters to the summit or gondola built. Flagged of course.

    Tuesday 30th September 2008 7.37pm

  14. Ellie said...

    I'd like to interrupt this constructive and informative thread to thank the team of seven Westie women for turning up to race on Saturday. Unfortunately, both Pat and Pauline had to pull out of the race because they were not feeling well. However, Brenda and Amy both did well, flirting with the clock and pulling in within a fashionable 5 hours. Elsie crossed the line looking as fresh and unflustered as ever (will this all change next year?), Cat showed us how to do it by practically skipping the entire route, chatting away and generally keeping the spirits up of those of us who were carrying her seemingly infectious 'shoogly' lurgy. It was extremely pleasing to see such an enthusiastic team of female hill-racers, well done to all.

    Tuesday 30th September 2008 8.55pm

  15. Dave said...

    What's this about Pat and Pauline pulling out the race because they're not feeling well, whoever heard of such a thing??????? Not something you would do Ellie, is it? The rest of you Westies women ought to be following your heroic (or mad) Captain's lead?

    Thursday 2nd October 2008 4.55pm

  16. Chris said...

    I can't say I've ever felt particularly well, running the Two Breweries, but never as bad as Ellie who somehow hobbled round with one or more prolapsed discs in her lower back, despite being told definitely not to run, but foolishly took part in a bid to gain those all important Long Classics Series points...

    Thursday 2nd October 2008 5.08pm

  17. Brenda said...

    I really enjoyed the Two Breweries, it was certainly a race a year ago I never thought I would be able to do and it made a difference coming in with other females rather than being so behind on my own. Well done to all.

    Friday 3rd October 2008 1.30pm

  18. Moorfoot Sheep Chasers! said...

    From the MOORFOOT SHEEP CHASHERS - "Get it right up ye"!

    Monday 6th October 2008 6.57pm

  19. Farmer Barleymow said...

    Git orf moi laaaaaaand!

    Tuesday 7th October 2008 9.11am

  20. The Pitbulls said...

    Have the Westies got a chip on their shoulder's by blaming everybody for them getting humped? ....sour grapes springs to mind. ...get a life

    Tuesday 7th October 2008 9.18am

  21. John 8:32 said...

    Ha Ha Pitbulls - smells more like Bullshit. First male Vets team etc is hardly getting humped, and some folk just like to play by the rules and not cheating...get a life!

    Tuesday 7th October 2008 10.18pm

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