Peebles Outdoor Film Festival Run and Talk

The Moorfoots were happy to help with the run on Saturday led my club mate Lucy Colquhoun - champion ultra runner extraordinaire - as part of the Peebles Outdoor Film Festival. The route is here:
https://www.strava.com/activities/1377609996

Shortly after Lucy and Ruth McKean were part of the Going the Distance session with other Moorfoot members in the audience listening and watching this intriguing session.

Lucy also aired her wee film showing a more low-key approach to running https://vimeo.com/253069363

Feel the Burns Hill Race Sunday 21st January

Colin Williams, Paul Nichol, and Alan Elder took part in an extremely snowy Feel the Burns Hill Race on Sunday. The course was shortened this year due to the recent heavy snow fall but still covered 7.6miles with an elevation gain of over 1,900 feet.

In addition Pete Hall was there marshalling as member of the Tweed Valley Mountain Rescue, in which the race profits were given to as a donation to support the fabulous and essential work the TVMR does. And later that night having spent hours on the hill they were called out to rescue on the Southern Upland Way that didn't finish til 5am. Hats off!

Race Organiser report:
Due to the extreme weather we have had over the last week, the decision was taken to shorten the route. Weather forecast was for more heavy snow and the course already had a huge amount of snow on it! All the feedback was that it was the correct decision and the shorter route still proved to be a cracker! the results reflect the amended, shorter route.
We had quite a few call offs due to the forecast and people not keen to travel but pleased to still get 197 turn up!

The race was won by HBT's Doug Tullie 1:09:21. The snow would have slowed the leaders down relatively speaking as they were breaking track for a lot of it. Results:
http://www.scottishhillracing.co.uk/RaceResults.aspx?RaceID=RA-0299&RaceYear=2018

21	Colin Williams	Moorfoot Runners	M40	01:18:39
93	Paul Nichol	Moorfoot Runners	M50	01:36:50
114	Alan Elder	Moorfoot Runners	M50	01:41:30

The Carnethy website summed the the race up perfectly - Conditions were very difficult. Slippery snow quite deep in places, and hard to keep on the barely beaten track. In the most drifted places the passage of runners did little to create a path and the deep foothills threw you all over the place.
The front runners must have had a very hard time. So the decision to shorten the course was absolutely right. It was still a hard 7.6 miles, though it looked much shorter on the map compared to the full route. The hideously calorific haggis pie after certainly went down well!


It was a lot whiter than that on Sunday!

Bring on next year! Photos being added here: https://www.facebook.com/pg/SelkirkFundRunners/photos/
At the moment this is the only Moorfoot action shot I can find


The snow was falling during the race - Colin lurking in the blizzard

Weekend 13/14 January - Inter-District XC at Holyrood Park, Paxton House Borders XC Series Rd 4

Beth Hobbs and Mairi Wallace were both representing East District on Saturday 13th at the Inter-District XC at Holyrood Park and ran very strongly, Beth finishing 17th and Mairi 22nd. Congratulations.
Jacob Adkin representing Scottish Students at the Inter-District XC Champs  on Saturday. He finished 17th in 27.22. Won by Scottish 10,000 & 5km champ Kris Jones in 25.55.
Sophie Collins, now at Edinburgh Uni, was also racing representing Scottish Unis team.

Round 4 of the Borders XC was at Paxton House on Sunday. 130 took part in the junior race with six Moorfoots in out of the 38 runners in the M10-11 categories finishing closely together: Ben Allan, Danny Lancaster, Thomas Hilton, Angus Carlyle, Cameron Carlyle, Kainui Keen 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 11, & 12th respectively. Two F12-13 ran - Esme Minto 2nd, Kate Harvie 5th.
In the senior race with 220 runners, Darin Dougal was first back in 17th & 5th M40, Mike McGovern 31st & 9th M40; Ian Munro 19th M50 and Mike Pearson 3rd M70.
 Well done all.
 Results, junior - https://www.webscorer.com/race?raceid=124639 Senior - https://www.webscorer.com/race?raceid=124637

Race Round-up : Portobello Promathon, Greenmantle Dash, Kielder 10 Mile Trail race

Darin Dougal was in impressive action on New Year’s Day at the 31st edition of the Portobello Promathon. 307 runners took part in the  race by the sea front was won by Dermot Cummins (Corstorphine AAC) in 19.11.
Darin clocked a quick 22.45 for the 4 mile course to finish 24th, and importantly 3rd M40 in a quality field. Full results here

Andy Cox, Colin Williams, Dave Gaffney and Russell Anderson were in action in the Greenmantle Dash at Broughton on 2nd Jan. It was great to see Russell racing as he's not been in action since the Borders XC series 2016/17.

The race in only 2 miles long (1 up, 1 down) but comes with about 600 feet of climb and descent. It is described on the Scottish Hill Racing website:

A race to blow away the Hogmanay hangover and see in the New Year. The event has a carnival atmosphere with fancy dress and junior races, and presents a surprising array of obstacles for such a short route.
The race starts with a mass sprint from the Broughton Brewery to hurdle a stonewall, across playing fields, hurdle fence, wade river, negotiate marsh, cross road. Breathe. Then up through turnip fields before hitting the base of the steepest hill. Struggle up this and turn with juddering legs to hurtle precariously back down, and wind up for the final dash along the road to the village hall. Then catch your breath again.

The results are still not out, but as they have a keg on tap giving out beers in the hall does it really matter? The Moorfoot finishing order was Andy, Colin, Dave, Russell and took about 20 mins. Some pics from previous years!

Magnus Skea, Mike McGovern, Colin Williams, Robert Wilson and Barry Hughes all made the trip south of the Border to race at the Kielder 10 mile trail race.
A pretty low key event from the same organisers as the Glentress Trail runs there were just over 200 runners in cold and frosty conditions, icy underfoot at times. The race was won in 1:01:54 with Colin 4th in 1:06:27 (2nd M40), closely followed by Mike (1:07:16, 5th and 3rd M40), then Magnus 15th, 1:12:39; Robert 1:30:37 with Barry snapping at his heals just behind 1:30:45 with top 10 finishes in the M50 categories. Full results here



Heads up - Carnethy 5 and 3 Eildons 10 Mile Trail Race entries open

Two races you need to act quickly for if you want to take part as they are both very popular  -

The ballot for entry for the very popular Carnethy 5 Hill Race by Penicuik, Saturday 10th February 2018,  has just opened closes on the 13th Jan:
https://www.sientries.co.uk/event.php?elid=Y&event_id=4097

Also the entry opened today for the 3 Eildons 10 Mile Trail Race, Sunday 25th February
'10 undulating miles of trail running taking in some spectacular scenery from the top of the Eildon Hills in Melrose, Scottish Borders'
https://www.sportsentrysolutions.com/new_race_page.php?recordID=200728

Unfortunately there is a clash with the Eildons Trail Race with Glentress Trail Marathon, and is also the day after the National XC and the Glentress Trail Half Marathon and Night 10km
https://www.highterrainevents.co.uk/glentress-trail-race

Social Runs over the festive period

Some nice pics from the Boxing Day run up to Glentress mast

And the New Years Eve run on the Glen Estate and Loch Eddy