Turnhouse Hill Race 2011

27th July 2011

Results

The penultimate race in the Bog & Burn series is alternately fast and steep, and an exhilarating route over the hill that seems far more enjoyable than the standard walkers’ path. Most of the drama took place before the race started, with one female entrant being carted off to hospital with a badly gashed knee, sustained during the warm-up. Then there was the issue of when the race would actually start, with both 7.15 and 7.30 having been published. After settling on the latter, we got down to the relatively safe business of running.

Owen put in yet another very strong run to be first Westie home, somewhere around 10th place. Next was Cam, sneaking under 30 mins, then demon descender JD, back from injury and only just over the half-hour. Graham followed, and some distance further back I toiled home after a fine climb with hands on the turf was negated by a shocking wheezy descent.

Also sporting the big W was the most westerly Westie, Swaz Fraser, in Scotland for a couple of weeks. If you go much further west than South Carolina, you eventually come to…..Dave Calder! Anyway, Swaz had cycled out for the race, and was planning on cycling north in the coming days to take in more hill race action and to catch up with friends. That plan may have taken a knock after the jelly legs and cramp set in on the descent of Turnhouse! Still, a fine effort from a man whose training consists of cycling and running on the flat. Welcome back, Swaz!

There were no Westies Wimmin present, although Julia Connor is becoming an almost-Westie and her Moorfoots’ red top seems to be fading to yellow…..or is my vision just going in my old age…?

I have absolutely no idea who won the race.