SVHC Christmas Handicap

Results | Photos

My 51st race in my 51st year. I’d not run the Scottish Veteran Harriers Christmas Handicap before. The last 2 times I’d thought about it, the race had been iced off.

I didn’t know the route, but Peter Rudzinski helpfully told me that at the first junction you turn right, then at the second junction you turn right, and at the next junction you turn right, and at the next junction you turn right, and at the next junction you turn right, and that’s all you need to know. And then you run a 2nd lap.

Paul Thompson, myself and Al MacLachlan were off on Scratch. Al wasn’t especially chuffed out this, but it’s the penalty of entering on the day.  I was interested to see how I would fare against Paul in a straight head to head.  I haven’t beaten Paul since February 2011, when I pipped him by 2 seconds at the Falkirk Nationals.  Anyhow, I thought I might be in with a shout at keeping somewhere near him today.

My plan was to sit behind Paul and let him set the pace, but somehow I ended up leading and driving the pace for the first 2.5 km, until Paul finally went past. Then once he was ahead, the gap just kept on growing. I ran the last 500 metres as hard as I could to bring down the gap a bit, but Paul was still 37 seconds ahead.