Five reasons why Carnethy is not a proper hill race

Full results

This was my first Carnethy, and I wonder why it has taken me so long. I guess getting an entry in the first place has played a part, so special thanks go to JD for saving me the need to get up at 4am (New Zealand time). Whatever it is, something makes this hill race so popular that 500 places go in a matter of minutes. Maybe it’s just the time of year.

The course is not especially demanding — 9km of tourist path in the Pentlands. No waist-deep bogs, no rocky descents that will rip you apart at the first slip, no scrambling up the final climbs. Perhaps that appeals to some. The start is either a bus ride or a leisurely 4km jog from the event base at Beeslack High School. The buses arrive in plenty of time, giving us an opportunity to chill out in the gentle breeze. Brian B officially confirmed it was "chilly", which made me feel slightly better as I piled on every layer of clothing in my kit. It’s great to catch up with so many folk I’ve not seen for weeks — no shortage of yellow Westies vests, although the fabled marquee failed to materialise.

The start is as advertised, a cavalry charge across the paddock to the first hill. I gain a few places by taking the short route through the puddles, and predictably lose them again on the first hill. The ground is mostly frozen solid with a thin top layer of mud, which makes for a jarring run for most of the course. It helps during the climbs, but the descents are unpredictable and slippery at times. I glimpse the occasional familiar face during the race. Keith catches me at the base of Carnethy, and promptly disappears into the distance. Val tries a similar trick off the descent, but I return the favour on the home straight. Having predicted a time of 1:30, I’m delighted to come in at 1:21. My quads don’t know what has hit them, but otherwise I’m feeling fine. Somehow, I miss the usual feeling of being shattered at the end of a race. Things are further amiss when I get back to the school, with actual hot water in the showers (!). Still, for all the pandering and gentle effort, I enjoyed the outing. Congrats to all who took part!

Westies places and times:

• 29 0:56:31 Manuel Gorman
• 61 1:01:23 Cameron Burt
• 73 1:02:17 Chris Upson
• 77 1:02:45 Alan Gilkison
• 89 1:04:13 Luke Arnott
• 142 1:08:01 Graham Kelly
• 162 1:09:32 Robert Taylor (EUMC/Westies)
• 185 1:11:16 David Rogers
• 198 1:12:00 Johnston Orr
• 220 1:13:15 Jacques Penderis
• 244 1:15:04 Murdo MacLeod
• 249 1:15:19 John Donnelly
• 264 1:15:50 Brian Brennan
• 315 1:19:30 Keith Adams
• 343 1:21:20 John Hamer
• 346 1:21:32 Val Brunton
• 350 1:21:54 Peter Baxter
• 354 1:22:12 Ian Thurlbeck (joined 2 days before the race!)
• 385 1:25:27 Pauline McAdam
• 416 1:28:35 Helen Macpherson
• 451 1:31:43 Stephanie Mackie
• 475 1:37:17 Brenda Paul
• 495 1:42:40 Patricia McLaughlin