Club Races

Westerlands organise 6 open hill races: Whangie Whizz, Ben Lomond, Kilpatricks, Cort-ma Law, Arrochar Alps and Two Breweries. Full information for all these races can be found at Scottish Hill Racing.

Whangie Whizz - More details

Venue: Queen's View Car Park, Carbeth, near Glasgow
Distance: 6.5 km
Climb: 250 metres
Next race: April 2011

The route begins next to Queens View car park and follows the tourist path past the Whangie to a short section of vehicle track before doubling back over Auchineden Hill and dropping back onto the original track which is followed to the finish.

Grazing cattle have cut up the surfaces badly making the route less whizzy than it used to be, and in 2010 a new fence forced a change of route.

Ben Lomond - More details

Venue: Rowardennan, Loch Lomond
Distance: 12 km
Climb: 980 metres
Next race: May 2011

Ben Lomond is one of the oldest races in the calendar.

Kilpatricks Hill Race - More details

Distance: 10 km
Climb: 450 metres
Next race: June 2011

A long-standing race which became a Westerlands production in 2007. The race has a surprise item to aid fence crossing. This varies each year from coffee table, old chair, to straw bale. Prize giving theme in 2009 was bathtime - towels and bubbles!! (as well as the usual alcohol, for those of you who find Radox undrinkable).

Cort-ma Law - More details

Distance: 10 km
Ascent: 560 metres
Next race: mid-June 2011

The Cort-ma Law race was first run in 1985. It is commonly held in June and proves rather popular with an average showing of about 50 runners. Please remember that this race is a category AM race, so windproof body cover, map, compass and whistle are mandatory equipment. The race is open to those who are aged 16 or over at the start of the year.

At 6 miles and 1700 feet it is a good tough workout. The course follows a fairly clear path although the bogs remain a deep and wet proposition.

The most memorable event related to this race has nothing to do with Mark Rigby running towards the wrong hill, or Isabel Coombs being carried off the hill by some rather excited ambulance men, but the now infamous Map and Compass War Dance performed by the original race organiser Big Al Campbell one year. The dance turned into an annual event that attracted large numbers in its own right. Sadly Big Al no longer organises the race so the spectacle of will remain only in the memory of those who witnessed it. Shame!

Arrochar Alps - More details

Distance: 22 km
Ascent: 2400 metres
Next race: June 2011

This is a tough mountain race and should not be undertaken lightly.

The race was created in 1987 and was run annually until 1992, before being abandoned due to repeated bad weather. 15 years later, Jason Kaushal and Westerlands resurrected this race for 2007, and the race has now been run several times in the modern era, each time in awful weather!

Course records:-
Men: Billy Bland 3:07:39 (1987)
Women: Andrea Priestley 4:06:46 (2010)

Two Breweries - More details

Venue: Traquair to Broughton
Distance: 30 km
Height: 1480 metres
Next race: 25th September 2010

The race starts outside Traquair House and finishes at the Broughton Ales Brewery.

Based upon an original idea by Andy Curtis, the race can be divided into 2 halves. The first follows climbs and descents over heathery Scottish border hills. The second half has less climbing and more running on farm tracks. The final section over Trahenna Hill is particularly arduous.