Muckle Medal Haul for Moorfoots at Borders Schools XC

Special congrats to the four Moorfoots who became Borders Schools Cross Country Champions for their schools on Thursday at Netherdale - P6 Girls Madeline Collins, an S1 double courtesy of Beth Hobbs and Ethan Elder, and S2 Girls Anna McGorum. The secondary schools boys and girls races were run concurrently and only three boys finished ahead of Beth!

There were also silver medals for Kobe Stevens, Niamh Shaw, Mairi Wallace, Euan Hood, Molly Falconer and Murray Aiken, and bronze medals for the two Charlottes, Clare and Morrison.

Madeline Collins won the P6 Girls 2km race by 24 seconds

Top Quality Moorfoot Club Vests / Training Tops

A new batch of highly sought after colourful Moorfoot Vests have arrived just in time for the summer season. Blue and Red are the colours for 2015 apparently.

Alan MacDonald is the quartermaster - if you want to place an order please email Alan [alan.macdonald@moorfootrunners.co.uk] and he can arrange collection / drop off at club training sessions Cost £10 a vest.

Sizes

JUNIORS - Unisex Sizes:
26" - 7
28" - 6
30" - 5
32" - 10
34" - 10
36" - 10

LADIES: (Alan says that he has only ever been asked for XS -  but the Junior 36" is bigger)
XS - 7

MENS:
S - 7
M - 5
L - 2
XL - 2
XXL - 4

CLUB TRAINING TOPS  STILL AVAILABLE AT INCREDIBLE PRICES !!

A new club training top costing £15 is available for individual order through Preston’s of Peebles at 9 Bridgegate, just down and opposite the Sunflower restaurant. See here for info and sizes http://www.spiroactivewear.com/product.php?prod=S178X  and also the attached photo. The model is wearing a size L.

Unfortunately it is adult sizes only but the XS will hopefully fit a lot of the juniors. Roddy at Preston’s will keep one of each size in stock so if you want to try one for size, just call in there from Friday. He is open 11am to 4pm Mon-Fri.

Roddy will take individual orders using the attached form. Moorfoot Club Training Top Order form

 

The cost of the garment has been kept down through a fairly decent subsidy by the club with Preston’s re-charging the club for the subsidised amount per garment ordered. So you just pay Preston’s £15 per garment or £15.50 if you want the optional extra of two small initials on the front left breast for personalisation. He won’t carry a huge amount of stock and he avoids delivery charges if he waits until he has accumulated a few orders up to a certain value before buying in the garments so please be patient if it takes a few days before your order is ready.

Chapelgill Race report

This is how hill races should be. A small field of less than 50 runners, £2 entry fee and registration from the back of a car in a field surrounded by the wonderful Borders hills. Blue skies and warm spring sunshine added to the general high spirits of all the competitors.
Chapelgill is an extreme example of the short sharp hill race, climbing 410m in 1.3km, turn at the cairn and plummet downwards.
Winner Andrew Gilmore, Carnethy in 21:01, closely followed by Al Anthony, Ochils in 21:21.
Special mention for one runner (Brian Marshall) who completed the race barefoot!!
I managed 14th in 28:11.
(This will be one of my last races as a V40 , with the big50 looming in a few weeks   - so I am paying a lot of  attention to my position in the various Vet categories - rather alarmingly I was 3rd V40  - and would have been 8th V50 !!!).   full results

D33 Ultra Report

On the same day as the Deerstalker 1 Moorfoot and 2 other Peebleans travelled to Aberdeen for the annual D33 Ultra.  Starting in Aberdeen itself the race travels for 16.5 miles along the Deeside Way, a mixture of terrain but mostly along an old railway line, before reaching Banchory, turning round and running back again.  Phil Coutts, Martin Holt and I completed the 33 miles in just over 5 hours - we were more than happy with that time but were rather put in the shade by the winner who ran an astonishing 3 hours 10 minutes, taking a full 19 minutes off the previous course best!  As always a very well organised race, with even a bottle of beer in the goody bag.  I've run this one twice now and am hoping that a 'mere marathon' at 26.2 miles will seem easier in comparison........... :-)

That's marathon number 3 out of the 12 I am aiming to run this year to raise fund for Peebles MS Society - the total so far stands at just over £3000 and my Just Giving page is at https://www.justgiving.com/Barry-Hughes7/

The Deerstalker Old Stag Report

The Deerstalker is certainly a bit of a departure from the average romp over hill and glen. Mike, Colin and I were in the first of 3 waves to breenge forth on the dash around the 17Kish course - claimed as 10K... and... aye..that'll be right! The first half took runners knee-deep through mud and river and then a steep climb up over forest paths and on to a main forestry track before another climb to the middle section of Kite Wood. My calves and I were not on speaking terms at this point and only stopped burning as I hit the long downhill section that eventually led to an enormous cargo net (to prevent people spilling on to the B709) I managed to pass a good number on the decent - those and more- who had taken advantage of my scorched calves on the previous hill. Crossing the road and attempting a short short cut - Karma kicked in and I joined the mulch and branches - face first! Onward and through the second of the water crossing then along Leithen Crescent, where you are directed into Leithen Water for a further soaking. Spectators on the bridge cheered waders - and dippers even more! I took a chest-deep dip before exiting for the numb-legged slog up past Pirn Wood and the scramble to the base of 'Scree Mountain'.

The scree was attacked (probably more like 'approached' - but it is an adventure race!) with much grunting with many a bush and boulder cursed on the way to the summit. Another treacherous downhill and another opportunity to make up a few places. Zig-zagging through the wood to be met with a criss-crossing of ropes down a steep slope and then along the slippery sides of Leithen Water.

Out onto the main street again and the spectators lift the flagging flesh. The end is around a mile and half away. Through a field and back  to the bridge over the Tweed - then twice through the water - just because they can! Cramp is grabbing the backs of the thighs at this point and I find myself following a chap in a British Military Fitness T Shirt. He strays off course and collapses - He's OK and I rejoin the course. Back in the grounds of Traquair House and a scramble under the final cargo net, rope climb alongside another competitor, launch myself off the six-foot platform (it is a race after all) and sprint to the finish line - 94th and happy with it. Soaked and cooling rapidly, I grab my 'free' half pint and and head for the car with Mike - who has very kindly waited on me getting to the line.

Not sure if I would run it again...It is pricey and swimming in Leithen Water in March is verging on lunacy , but it is nearby and the support from marshals, locals and other runners was great.
linky thing

Deerstalker race report

It was the Mighty Deerstalker race from Traquair and around Innerleithen yesterday. There is the "5k" which starts at 2pm (it's actually 10k) and then the "10km" starting at dusk so that you need head torches after about 45mins on (it's actually 15km).
It's a big mass participation commercial 'adventure run' event with about 2,000 people taking part over both events. See here: http://www.mightydeerstalker.com/
There were a few Moorfoots in action.
Craig Rendle was entered in the 10k but had been ill all week, so ill in fact that a doctor that called to his house as he will too ill to go to the surgery. Craig felt better on Firday but with the week behind him he decided to go for the 5k. Craig was 4th to the top of the hill but had passed everyone on the decent but started to get catch on the flat again. It has very close in the end and Craig finished second only 5 seconds behind in a time of 52.42.
In the 10k Mike McGovern, Alan Elder and Colin Williams (me!) were in action.
Unfortunately Mike strained his Achilles and had to pull out within the first 10 mins.
Alan had a great run on the first time racing here and won the Old Stag (M50) category by 5 mins in a time of 1h54 and a field of over 50.
I had a solid run, but never really felt like I was firing on all cyclinders and finished in 1hr32, 4 mins down on last years time (although a re-routing in the grounds of Traquair probably added a couple). I finished in 11th place, compared with 7th last year. I had a real tussle with Moorfoot Dad and mountain bike ace Crawford Carrick Anderson who got the best of me on the last climb and descent and came in 10th. Full results here: http://www.racetecresults.com/Results.aspx?CId=40&RId=7041&EId=2

Northumberland Coastal Series Marathon

A slightly belated report on the Northumberland Coastal Series Marathon & Half Marathon on Saturday 28th February.  Good Moorfoots / Peebles representation - Phil Coutts, Martin Holt & I running the marathon (actually 27.5 miles) and Chris Dube the half.  A pleasant breeze was mostly behind us as we ran up the coast from Alnwick to Bamburgh Castle, with a mixed terrain ranging from beach to occasional tarmac, with plenty in between, including stepping stones at one point.  No world record times but a very scenic, if tiring, run.  Recommended - though personally I will probably stick to road running next time!

Scottish Schools XC Golds for PHS Boys and Girls

Official results from the Scottish Schools Cross Country Championships at windy Irvine yesterday are still to be published but the Moorfoot quartet of  Beth Hobbs, Molly Falconer, Elena McGorum and Charlotte Clare took the U14 team gold for Peebles High School. And it became a double gold for the school when the senior boys also won, with Chris O'Hare's wee bro Dom coming 2nd and leading home the Moorfoot trio of Kobe Stevens, Sam McNeil and Benjamin Hindley.

Lasswade 10 Mile Road Race

Moorfoot's old and young were in action at the Lasswade 10 Mile Road Race on 1st March.
Great run by Ben Hindley to get 1st U20

Scott MacDonald - 62:13 (24th)
Benjamin Hindley - 64.21 (34th)  + 1st U20
Alan Elder - 73.07 (112th)
Alan MacDonald - 74.13 (122nd)
Brian Hood - 85.59 (239th)

total of 350 runners
full results