Moorfoot Handicap Trail Race - Glentress (Sunday 26-April)

Update from James on this coming weekends trail race - nominally 'Glentress' but starting at Soonhope(Peebles), just beyond the Beltane Studios building (east of Hydro Hotel) - be there for 10:00am....

(* - James came last because he stopped to help a runner who had fallen and broken their arm...Ed.)

After coming last* in Saturday's Scottish Hill Running Championship race at Screel I decided I needed to do some extra training so yesterday I ran round next Sunday's Glentress handicap route twice.
Here's a few more details of the course:-

Start
We'll start about 400 yards behind the Peebles Hydro at the start of the "Holiday Village".

Distance
Probably just under 10km (about 6 miles). Although this course is shorter than the route at Cardrona given the amount of climbing involved I expect that this course will take people marginally longer with the fastest time being around 44mins.

Handicaps
These will be similar to those used at Glentress but I'll and make a couple of adjustments based on recent race results (especially my result on Saturday!). Also as this is a hilly course I'll give those of you that don't regularly run/race in the hills an extra time advantage.

The route
I'll mark the route with flour but there are a couple of points where you need to take extra care:-

Approach to Sheildgreen Centre:-Shortly after you enter the trees for the first time, the path forks, take the left hand fork. The path forks again in another 50 yards, this time take the right hand fork. At post no.25 take the left hand fork, run in front of the Sheildgreen Centre and then turn right towards the container adjacent to the Centre and then immediately left. From here follow the orange path past post numbers 24,23,22. You will come to a number of cross roads, at each one go straight on.

Approach to the mast at Dunslair Heights:-Once you reach post 21 turn right along the ridge. Here you can choose to take the winding mountain biker path or the more direct walkers path to the mast (as this is an uphill section you will be going faster than the mountain bikers and most of MTB'ers will be pushing their bikes anyway!).

The descent:-About 200m after the mast take the path on the right. From here continue to take the main path downhill until you reach post 14. Here you reach a 5 way junction, take the second right hand path down the grassy track, go straight across at the cross roads after 100m. From here follow the minor path down the steep grassy slope (marked as Peebles link on the attached map) until you reach the main track. From here turn left and retrace your steps to the finish.

We had a very good turn out for the Cardrona Trail Race - and I think everyone had a great time, so make sure you get this one in your calendar....