Manor Water 2007

It warmed up just in time, having been damp earlier and a little chilled. Chris started off at a stiff pace, followed at a distance by Colin Donnelly, leading all the way up the valley to Glack Hope and onto the ridge to the first top. A posse of Moorfoot runners sat further back, fading a little before the march wall. Brian Marshall took me up to Chris, then set off to track Colin across the undulating moorland.

Chris and I worked together from thereon, pulling each other along, taking turns to push the pace, Chris edging it on the steeper stuff. The ground was fast with no rest on the easy gradients on soft grassy tracks and trods, nearly running all the way to the top of The Glack. Pity the poor marshal sheltering in the fence corner from the biting cloud. No rest on the way back either, plummeting off the top, then the fast trods with a few small uphills to check our efforts. Ellie was comfortably third Westie in the pack coming up, despite feeling under the weather..

I knew I had to get away and pushed ahead before the final slight top with two miles to go. The sunshine broke through just then but no time to take in the views trying to batter downhill not knowing my lead. Into the field and sure enough, Chris was rapidly bearing down on me, releasing a do-or-die charge for the line. But too late. I held him by a second to finish third. Very pleased !!.

Ellie held onto second Lady and third Westie, showing JD and Simon how to run a hill race. Brian Marshall won two minutes clear from Colin Donnelly. Veronique Oldham was first lady. A bottle of beer for all and the enjoyment of the associated sheep dog trials and its tea marquee in the autumnal Borders setting rounded off the event.