Beinn Ghormaig Gallop

Results

Off with Davy Duncan to a race organised by Tom Smith of Lochaber about 15 miles from Strontian. The reason for the race was to mark the retirement of his parents from their job as estate managers. This was one of these places where there is no reason whatsoever that you would ever have visited it unless there was a hill race. The moors of Morvern are pretty bleak and the rain was teeming down as we headed from the Corran ferry. Really didn’t look like good and then we found the turn off, helpfully marked by Tom with a hill race sign and after another few miles of single track road we arrived …..first runners …..which you get used to when Davy is driving. Went in and met Tom’s Mum and Dad and had coffee and cake, saw the feast that was prepared for after the race, and basically chilled out as several more runners arrived. By the time of the off there were 23 runners, mainly Lochaber, but with a few others including another Westie Jo McGuire, the Bowmans, Julia Connor, Michael Diver and Dan Watson. The race was started by the estate owner firing one barrel of his shotgun, having already told us that last man in got the second barrel. The race …..well to be frank I really wasn’t in the race …..no change there you say ….fair enough …..but this was worse than usual as hadn’t run since Conic Hill. Sprightly enough at the start I faded badly in second half and just managed to beat Davy D to the top …..he passed me on the way down then I passed him ….then he passed me etc etc …..managed to get away from him near the bottom of the hill. Tom Smith won the race, Julia was first lady, Jo was 2nd lady, Angus Bowman was 1st V50 and Jean B was Lady V50. The spread was magnificent and its not often you leave a race at least a kilogramme heavier than you arrived. Well done to Tom for organising this one-off race and best of luck to his delightful parents in their hard earned retirement.