North Berwick Law Hill Race

(delayed posting due to non-obvious result location)

Ethan and I made the trip to North Berwick Wednesday 5^th Aug to tackle the annual hill race there.

A touch warm but a pleasant evening for a jaunt around the town and up the side of The Law. It’s an out and back of 4.5K with 185m of a climb. From the harbour, a stampede of 236 charged off. A chap in front of me trying to avoid a junior runner and ending up united with the tarmac as a result. Another lady coming a cropper (but making it round) as she passed the chippy – admittedly the smell of fish frying was a bit of a distraction.

Being my first attempt, and The Law looking rather intimidating from the harbour, I set off with moderate enthusiasm and hit the hill feeling reasonably good. Ethan, on the other hand was out of sight and somewhere up on the side of the hill. 

Nearing the top, Don Naylor was making his decent, then another and another – then Ethan passed. We exchanged encouragement and I pumped hands on knees to the top. You are handed a rubber band (as a token that you have been to the top) and then it’s off on the charge back to the harbour. I take the ‘controlled plummet’ decent and manage to pass 20 or so on the way down and another 7 once I hit the road section. The encouragement from the enthusiastic crowd probably accounting for 5 places in the final 300m. 

On regaining my breath, I learn that Ethan has dashed round in 22.19 finishing 11^th overall. My 80^th place (26.47) looking fairly shabby! Don Naylor (19.53) was first man back and Charlotte Morgan (22.24) first lady. Post-race fish and chips with the free ice-cream for dessert go down a treat!

Certainly recommend this one and hope to do again next year.

Results

Finishing

Finished