Menstrie Hill Race

Results

As Westie representation goes, the race at Menstrie was a family day out for the Evans’s with Ros, Neah, Donald and Malcolm all making it to the start line, and to make up the numbers Brian Brennan and myself turned up. The race was a one-off route up the Ochils as trials for the Commonwealth Mountain Running Championships, hence a high calibre field of some of Scotland’s best male & female hill runners were there to stake their claim for a spot on the team. Donald started fast and was in the front pack of about 8 runners, I held back a bit and ended up climbing most of the first climb up Myreton hill with Catriona Buchanan and Christina Rankin. The other 4 westies were in a battle royal with each other as the jostled for position. There was the welcome site of Don Reid marshalling at the top of Myreton Hill to greet us, and after a short descent the steady climb of Colsnaur Hill began. By that time I was fading a bit and Catriona and David Fulton gradually moved away from me. I held my position to the summit of Colsnaur Hill, and after that it was a fast and fun descent to the finish. On my way down I lost 2 places to John Stevenson and Sandy Bennet. Donald was the best placed of the Westies coming in 8th and holding off the challenge of the advancing David and Catriona. Neah ran well and got the better of Ma & Pa and Brian just got pipped by his hill racing nemesis David Duncan. A really enjoyable race, think there was some whispers after about maybe making it a permanent fixture in the calendar, I hope so. After the race I joined Duncan Riddell of Maryhill Harriers on an enjoyable cycle back to Glasgow. Amazingly Duncan had also cycled all the way out from Glasgow before the race, and a race in which he fared well in, a beast of a man! The 2 Maryhill Harriers hill racing stalwarts of Sarah Adam and himself are tackling Ben Nevis this weekend.

Posted by Owen ONeill on Thu 1 Sep 2011 | 3 comments

Category Hill Race