Entries by Tom Finch

The Ben Race

Fifteen Westies assembled in Fort William on a hot September day to race up the Biggest Ben of Them All. I’ve spent the last few months attempting some Ben-specific training, plotting increasingly convoluted and repetitive routes in the Ochils in an attempt to cover lots of climb over not much distance. In the end I

Alva Dust Fest

Last Saturday I attended the Alva Games Hill Race, part of the BOFRA championship series. 89 runners started and finished the senior race, in a pretty stacked field (no chance of me snatching a cash prize). The course is a short (2.6km) and sharp (385m, also lots of thorns) out-and-back. After a lap of the

My First Marathon

Route: 46.7km from Clachan of Campsie to Clachan of Campsie, via 9 of the Campsies’ most-loved peaks and Dumgoyne. Weather: long sleeves at the start, no sleeves at the finish Conditions underfoot: wet for a marathon, dry for the Campsies Support: Good numbers of spectators around ‘The’ Meikle Bin and Dumgoyne. Passed Jenn and Kerry

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A handicapping analysis

Introduction According to Wikipedia, a handicap race is “a race in which horses carry different weights, allocated by the handicapper”. On March 4th 2020 18 Westies ran the In The Dark Handicap from the Kilpatrick gasworks (55.927112, -4.449228) to The Slacks (55.945192, -4.455503). The course was 5.6km in length. Audrey’s train was delayed so she

Santa Clauses are Coming to Town

I arrived at the 2019 Tobermory Santa Dash well-prepared, having borrowed a premium, drag-minimising Santa onesie from Andrew Fulwood. Most of the other competitors had no choice but to wear the inferior two-piece garments, with a smattering of bespoke costumes including an inflatable Santa fat suit. I was pleased also to be enjoying the relative

Trossachs Night Trail #2

“I hope the rain holds off so I can keep my glasses on” I said, like an idiot. We’re gathered in Callander for the start of the 2nd race in the Trossachs Night Trail Series. Hill running legend Angela Mudge stands on a wall to give the pre-race briefing. “The weather’s a lot better than

Meall a’ Bhuachaille

Tent up, ankle taped, Kendal mint cake consumed, bladder emptied, and I’m ready to start the 6th and final race of the 2019 Scottish Hill Champs – Meall a’ Bhuachaille (nice to say, hard to spell). The start line is a mass of foot-stomping and hand-rubbing, with only a few hardy folk daring to bare

Lomonds of Fife

A Story Map A (0 km) The sun breaks through the cloud just in time for a 1pm start, with 6 Westies in a field of 88. B (0.1 km) An anxious first kilometre, as I attempt to run over the tarmac without letting my new Mudclaws touch the ground. I fail. C (0.7 km)

A Cobbler jolly

The morning after the Westies Christmas Party, John ‘JD’ Donnelly, Jenn ‘Lady’s Captain’ Ruddick and I set out to tackle The Cobbler. Having seen the quality of prizes up for grabs the previous night, I put it upon myself to get a race report in. I’m stretching the definition of ’race’ to include a casual