Tinto Hill (& the SHR)

Gordon · Tinto Hill (& the SHR)

James, Will and I headed south on Sat 8th to the Tinto Hill race, just south of Lanark. It's a 7k run that goes 460m up and down the hill, mostly on a path. Even with some sections being very wet it was still a great route for belting downhill with the brakes off.

The weather wasn't great but I had arranged for the rain to stop in time for a warm-up, and fortunately the cloud also cleared from the hill for the race itself.

There was a quality field of 250 runners, with many of the top names visible. (We met Prasad Prasad at a service station on the way there - he asked us for directions but despite what we told him he still found his way to registration and the race start.)

However Prasad didn't win this time, the winner instead being Jethro Lennox of Shettleston in 32.18.

Will ran a very good race, particularly on the downhill, finishing 11th overall in 35.48. He was pleased with the placing, with managing to beat Angela Mudge (for the first time, I think) and also with being the first MV40, for which he collected a bottle of wine and, naturally, some venison sausages.

I had an okay uphill run but enjoyed a fast downhill, overtaking loads of folk, to finish in 125th place in 45.40. Sore legs today though - perhaps I should have sat in the burn for 5 minutes afterwards as Will did.

James wasn't very happy with his uphill run, so rather than just go round the enormous cairn at the summit of Tinto Hill like everybody else - actually its a Bronze Age burial mound - he took the extra time to climb to the top of the cairn, in order to have a fully authentic bagging claim on another Donald. He then had a better downhill run to finish 195th in 51.50.

Full results are at http://www.shr.uk.com/RaceResults...?RaceID=RA-0108&RaceYear=2008.

As it turned out, the race prizegiving in Symington village hall was to be followed by the AGM of Scottish Hill Runners. We didn't stay but Will and I were each able to pick up our SHR championship mug, which is, as you can see, an object of considerable beauty and indeed rarity.
I hope that next year more Harriers will be actively pursuing these glorious items - all it takes is to complete four out of six selected hill races during the year.

Click to see full size image

digby

Well done you lot. Will especially. I was a bit worried about the Harriers slipping out of the limelight with the decrease of cross country exposure this year. am no noo