Badingsgill Hill Race

I took part this morning in the first running of a new hill race in the Pentlands - a horseshoe route of the hills around Baddingsgill Reservoir above West Linton. It's a hilly but mostly runnable course if you don't mind running over rough boggy and heathery ground. A couple of dozen runners took part, most from the organiser, Nick Brown's club, Corstorphine. Being the first running and something of a trial, he kept it low key but plans to put it on the SHR calendar next year. There's more info about the race here: http://www.caac.org.uk/Baddinsgill_Round#comment-form


If value for money races interest you, this one tops the lot. Cost: zilch. And for that you got a marshalled race with free banana and bottle of water at the finish, plus beer prizes awarded at the Gordon Arms afterwards.

It was a nice route, wet underfoot (where isn't, this summer) with great views and fast finish down a grassy ridge. Scope for navigational errors (maybe not a race for you, Mike McG!), in fact Fergus Johnson of Gala Harriers was well in the lead until he took the wrong route off the second last hill and blew his lead.

I finished about ninth, in just under two hours, which I was quite happy with since it was my first race since Easter.
Cheers. Russell