Sunday 28 June 2015

Juniors help Team Borders to Forth Valley League title

Lots of Moorfoot contributions to the Team Borders effort in the final match of the Forth Valley League at Grangemouth when the league title was secured by a very narrow margin over Edinburgh AC. Can you spot them in this photo?

Charlotte Morrison, Madeline Collins, Molly Falconer, Gregor MacGregor, Ellie O'Hara, Rianna Sterricks, Michael Girdler. Not there yet for the lunchtime photo were Ethan Elder, Mairi Wallace, Murray Aiken and Keith Kitching. Olivia Harrison had already left due to the call of sillaging back on the farm, and Eilidh Mooney missed the photo whilst queuing with dad Bobby for his bacon roll (or two?)!

Tuesday 23 June 2015

A Wee Trail Time Trial - Results 23/6/15

Seven runners in tonight's trail time trial round the viaduct.
Balmy summer conditions, good conditions underfoot and only a few dog walker to negotiate.


Runners were set off at one minute intervals, slowest to fastest.


Well done to Colin with the fastest time of the night over the 3 mile course.
Thanks also to Kirsty for time keeping.


Caldwell's ice creams were enjoyed afterwards, with 5 out of 6 runners preferring salted caramel..!


We'll run another one later in the summer - keep an eye on the blogger for further details...




Results:


Runner Route Format Date Time Elapsed Handicap Corrected Time Position
Colin Williams Viaduct TT 23-06-15 0:20:05 0 0:20:05 1
Kenny Davidson Viaduct TT 23-06-15 0:21:06 0 0:21:06 2
Eddie Balfour Viaduct TT 23-06-15 0:21:48 0 0:21:48 3
Scott MacDonald Viaduct TT 23-06-15 0:22:19 0 0:22:19 4
Alan Elder Viaduct TT 23-06-15 0:22:43 0 0:22:43 5
Robert Wilson Viaduct TT 23-06-15 0:25:30 0 0:25:30 6
Pete Baxter Viaduct TT 23-06-15 0:28:09 0 0:28:09 7

Sunday 21 June 2015

Three Eildons Hill Race & Muckletoon Trail Half Marathon

There was a good Moorfoot turn out for the Three Eildons Hill Race, the third of the Summer Series.
It was won in a time of 38.06 by Ian Gilmore of Carnethy. First home was Andy Cox in a very competitive 8th position (41.15) a few seconds Brian Marshall who recently won Yethom Hill Race. Next home was Darin Dougal (14th, 43.37), Lucas Cheskin (21st, 45.56); Alan Elder (37th, 52.26); and David Cheskin (42nd, 55.07). I'm guessing there would have been some high finishes in the respective age categories but the results don't show this:
http://galaharriers.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/Gala-Harriers-Eildon-Three-Hill-Race-20th-June-2015-results.pdf

I (Colin) made the trip to Langholm instead to take part in the Muckletoon Trail Half Marathon. In previous years Andy, Craig and Kenny have all done this race and said what a scenic course it was and I can only agree. The added lure of Danny Macaskill doing his bike tricks at the Muckletoon Adventure Festival basecamp provided the incentive to make it a family trip.
I had a good run and am delighted to have finished 2nd in 1.38.57, 25secs behind the winner for the 13 mile and 540m ascent course (here's the track from my garmin: https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/809861320). I was well dropped by a group of the three leaders after about 3.5 miles. I timed them 50 secs ahead with about 4 miles to go and accepted they were well gone but then the wheels fell off one of them and I took the gap in an mile or so and then I went passed the 2nd place runner with two miles to go but I couldn't close the gap any more on the leader who stayed strong to the end.
The prizes were awarded by Danny Macaskill so my children think I am pretty cool!

Thursday 18 June 2015

A Wee Trail Time Trial

Say out of the river ! Dodgy satellite signal shows route in the water at times - running in the water will slow you down...
The Tuesday night training group will be holding a small, very low key time trial, on the evening of Tuesday 23-June.



Course is effectively up the river bank, cross the viaduct, back down the other river bank - start and finish at Priorsford Bridge - distance is 3 miles (which is about the same as the two laps of the 3 Bridges course...)



Meet at Kingsmeadows car park at 6:30pm as usual for a warm up - first runners off at 7:00pm - 1 minute intervals. All welcome....



Note that there will be no marshaling or course marking - runners take part at their own risk - but we will send out a search party if you are 'overdue'...



Caldwell's ice cream for all finishers....pending approval by Mr Treasurer...

Sunday 14 June 2015

Lilliesleaf Offroad 10k, Gala 10k, Durisdeer Hill Race reports

Lilliesleaf Offroad 10k - (actually 10.7km) and 180m /600 ft ascent 
A very low key event in aid of the Lilliesleaf village hall fund. A very varied route following a complete mixture of surfaces with a short section of tarmac to start and then encountering hard farm tracks to soggy muddy forest trails and rutted fields with a stream crossing to finish. The course should be here: https://connect.garmin.com/activity/804321027
Very friendly and clearly all the top runners were elsewhere as the Moorfoots filled the podium. It would have been different if the guy leading the race hadn't taken the wrong turn when he was clear of me, Mike and Wull running as a group.
There we some really rough and uneven surfaces and steep sections of descent near the end which allowed me to push on in the last mile and get a gap from Mike and Wull to record my first running win ever. I don't think that I get an international call up any time soon but vastly enjoyable course and good tray bake at the end!


1st Colin Williams in 45.00, 2nd Mike McGovern (1st v40) 45.30ish , 3rd Wull Hynd (1st V50) 46.00ish , Alan Elder 3rd V50 I expect results will be here soon: https://www.facebook.com/lilliesleaf10kfunrun

Gala 10k - Darin and Craig ran and some speedy times posted with the top four all from Gala Harriers clocking 33 minutes something (I'm glad they weren't at Lilliesleaf!!)
Darin Dougal won the V40 prize and 6th overall in 36.41. Craig Rendle 10th overall in 37.58 - went off hard but paid the price later
Results: http://galaharriers.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/Gala-Harriers-10k-June-2015-results.pdf

Durisdeer - British Hill Champs Counter - Andy Cox in 58th in 1.45.46 in a hugely competitive field with 269 finishers. It was won by Tom Owens of Shettleston in 1.25 only a couple weeks after the representing GB to 4th place in the 85km World Ultra Trail Champs. Crazy!
Results: http://www.shr.uk.com/RaceResults.aspx?RaceID=RA-0060&Year=2015

Tuesday 9 June 2015

Portobello Beach Race

Alan Elder and I (Colin) raced at the Porty Beach Run on Sunday. A very low-key and friendly race. Slightly harder than the pan flat course would suggest as it was a stonking head wind for the first half (and massive tail wind in the second). The are ample opportunities for splashing at the sea edge and stream crossings as you search for the best line balancing the shortest distance against the smoothest and hardest sand and keeping your feet dry.

I had a solid race and picked up a couple of places in the second half to finish in 6th in 27.15, although I almost 3 mins behind the winner. Alan was 23rd and 3rd MV50 in 30.27 and picked up a couple of places with his (in)famous finish line sprint finish. Results here: http://www.portobellorunners.co.uk/component/content/article/35-general/523-2015beachraceresults

There was an excellent selection of after race cakes to top it off.

This was the first counter in the Moorfoot summer series - next up Lilliesleaf 10k on Sunday. Let me know if you plan to go if want to share lifts. I plan to leave Innerleithen at 9.45am.

Monday 8 June 2015

Yethom Hill Race 2015

Mr Treasurer on Latchley Hill
This is still one of my favourite hill races - very low key, smallish field, friendly bunch of competitors and the money raised goes to the local mountain rescue...

A lovely sunny day, but windy on the tops - anti clockwise route this year, which I prefer...means a 3 mile very runnable descent from the highest point, the Curr..

Eddie was Moorfoot 'King of the Hill' in around 1:25ish I think...
Kenny, a minute or so back, unable to close the gap from the 'hands on thighs' slog up the Curr...

Barefoot Brian Marshall was first runner home...

Results here soon...

Thursday 4 June 2015