Creag Bheag Hill Race

Tuesday 13th September

The days fearsome weather abated just long enough to get everybody, except one, round the 3 1/2 mile - 850ft course before it turned really nasty and dark.

I nearly cut myself an identical gash on my arm seconds before the start by slipping on wet tiles in our hosts porch and wrestling with a metal ladder and piles of fallen firewood, while Martin Flynn missed the start by 20 seconds because he was still tying his shoe laces!!!

The fast pace off up the road to Kingussie golfy saw me leaping into the lead, but my ethics got the better of me and I stopped to wait on the late Martin, who had by now moved fast through the field into second place, before carrying on together up the 1st & 2nd deserted fairways to the start of the flagged section over the hill.

I took the lead and now happy that Martin had had plenty of recovery time to equalise things a bit, started to step on the pace. The fast fading evening light forced everyone to keep one eye on the bracken strewn trod for rock and holes, and the other peering for the next flag.

A small gap had opened just before the start of the big hill, and I started to push hard and there was no response from behind so I relaxed and just enjoyed the run to the very windy top and along the short ridge, before a wonderful fast, rock skipping drop off the path on the other side of the hill.

At the bottom you are back onto tarmac for a final 1/2 mile blast back to our host, Peter Morris's house, and a stinging final steep uphill blast to the line in his driveway.

Collapsing on the grass I heard 26.01 - a new record...despite farting about at the start!

Martin - 1st Vet, came trotting in a surprising 4 minutes behind me with another local runner Gordon Stewart (only his 2nd ever hill race - his 1st was claiming the prized 1st Local at Creag Dhubh!) only a few seconds down in 3rd place.

First lady was new Ramsay Rounder, Jill Irvine in 6th place with 32.38 and 2nd was Katy Boocock, 3rd Fiona Dhall, all of whom run for Highland Hill Runners.

Talking of Highland Hill Runners, Westies defector Jim Hall put in an appearance in order to start tapering up the way in time for the Breweries next weekend...mmm? Well, his home-bru went down a treat at the social bun fight in Peter's kitchen afterwards.

A thought for poor Mark Thomas of the now defunct Wolves of Badenoch, who endured considerable hip pain to hobble round at the coos tail, only to get caught by the onslaught of some absolutely wicked lashing rain.

Just as a point of interest for all those feeling a bit old and decrepit these days - our race host Peter Morris is the wrong side of 80 and still runs half marathons in very respectable times, so don't come out with any crappy Campbellesque excuses for a while!!!

1 - Manny Gorman Westies 26.01 record

2 - Martin Flynn Moray RR 30.19 1st Vet

3 - Gordon Stewart u/a 30.43 Vet

6 - Jill Irvine Highland HR 32.38 1st Lady

Posted by Manny Gorman on Wed 14 Sep 2005 | 1 comment

Category races