Kilpatricks Hill Race

9th June 1999

People often ask me, ‘Brian, as a highly successful yet disarmingly modest prize winning mountain athletic, are there any tips or advice you could give to me, a mere novice, to help me win my first hill race?’. To which I usually reply, ‘Sorry, Charlie, no can do.’ But on further reflection, it has struck me that perhaps my years of experience at the cutting edge of hill running may be of some use to those yet to grace the hallowed pages of Athletic Weekly’s results section (June 23rd 1999). Here then are my top tips for winning your first hill race.

Wear the right shoes. As in any sport, you must use the right equipment for the job in hand. There are those in the hill-running fraternity who believe it is ‘big’ and ‘clever’, and even sometimes ‘cool’ to make do with one pair of running shoes for all conditions. Furthermore, it is widely held in these circles that the possession of the tinkest and most barkit shoes and kit denotes some kind of kudos. For example, Big Al’s Holy vest is regarded by many as the ultimate shrine to long use or ‘tink-chic’ as it is otherwise known and Tony Ritchie is rumoured to be still using his first pair of PBs bought in 1973. By wearing a brand new pair of PBs to your targeted race, there is always the chance that your competitors will mistake you for a novice hill-runner and thus award you the essential element of surprise. As the great Imelda Marcos once said, ‘you can never have too many shoes’.

Be prepared. Preparation, both physical and mental, is of the utmost importance in ensuring victory on the hills. Each has his own method, but I used the following programme in the build up to my 1999 Kilpatricks Hill Race victory: four years of full time study followed by three weeks of intensive examinations, culminating the day before the selected race. (The exams can be in any subject, but I have found Scottish studies to be

Above: Gibson at the Whagie

particularly effective). After such rigorous mental cleansing the concentration and mental strength required to lead and win a hill race will come easily to you. All that remains is to liquid carbo-load the night before (known in the trade as ‘getting pished’) to ensure pre-race nutritional balance and relaxation.

Know your opponents. It cannot be overly stressed how important it is to know the strengths and weaknesses of your fellow athletes. For example, in my 1999 Kilpatrick’s Hill Race victory, my knowledge that Damon Rodwell, a. would probably lead the pack from the outset, b. had no idea where the race route went, and c. had been assured of it being well marked and easy to follow by myself before the race, proved invaluable.

Play to win. In the immortal words of Mohandas Gandhi, ‘winning is not the most important thing, it is the only thing’. Don’t be tempted to give into the false ideals of such abstract concepts as ‘sportsmanship’, and ‘fair play’. Each runner must be responsible for their own navigational decisions on the hill; shouting to other competitors that they have gone the wrong way may seem the kind thing to do in the short term, but in the long term you are doing them no favours – runners will only learn by the harsh consequences of their own mistakes. I myself had to learn this the hard way in the Glasgow City Open Cross Country race this year when Dave Calder took advantage of my momentary lapse in concentration to cruise past me to the line. This defeat taught me a valuable lesson about ‘team spirit’ and ‘club loyalty’ which I have since used to devastating effect, for example, in my 1999 Kilpatricks Hill Race victory: Damon may well be a club-mate, but out on the hill it’s every man for himself.

And finally. Once you have followed these tips and won your first hill-race, don’t let it go to your head. In my experience there is nothing more likely to turn your fellow club members against you than continuously harping on about your victory. Try to avoid endlessly recounting your triumph in the pub and during curry nights; analysing the turning point in the race may be of great interest to you, but you may find hostile reactions and even snide remarks, such as ‘you’re just a jammy bastard’, from your less talented club mates.

*The above article is taken from Against All Odds: How I Won the 1999 Kilpatricks Hill Race, Vol. I : The Early Years, Forthcoming.

01 B. Bonnyman Westies 52.32

02 S. Wilson Liv/ston 52.48

03 D. Crowe Shett 52.49

05 M. Macleod (1V) 53.52

07 K. Jenkins (1F) Carn 54.16

10 J. Donnelly Shet 55.50

12 J. Hall W 56.54

15 K. Adams W 57.46

17 A. Cameron W 58.43

18 A. Farrell (2F) W 58.45

19 D. Rodwell W 61.07

24 C. Menhennet (1FV) 62.14

27 D. Calder W 63.39

30 E. Scott (3F) W 65.50

31 D. Turnbull W 66.47

33 L. Gorman W 68.02

37 G. Benny W 73.13

Team

1 SHIT

2 Westies