Sunday 29 July 2018

Cademuir Rollercoaster 2018 - Sat 4 August

Race details are on the club website www.moorfootrunners.com under the club races tab. Hope to see lots of you there.

Friday 27 July 2018

Meadows Miles Relay on Wednesday night

The ‘Moorfoot Hillbillys’ took part Sri Chinmoy 3 x 1 mile relay, around the Meadows in Edinburgh on Wednesday evening 25 July
Simon Hammond ran Leg 1 in 5:08 in his shortest race since school days, Colin Williams Leg 2 in 5:22, and ‘secret weapon’ Scott McDonald brought it home in sub 5mins, in 4:59 and catching up a couple places on the way to finish 8th in 15:29. Event report and results are here: https://uk.srichinmoyraces.org/races/edinburgh/previous-results/2018
A bit of fun and we look forward to doing this or something similar again!

Andy Cox at Ambleside Sports Guides Race

Andy Cox was taking part in another BOFRA Championship counter on Thursday at the Ambleside Sports Guides Race, with another high finish covering the 1.7 miles / 2.7 km with 800 feet / 240 meters of climb in 16:27. Andy was 4th to top and was passed on the descent and in the field to record 8th place in a very strong field.
Race details here: http://www.bofra.org.uk/assets/racepages/ambleside/ambleside.php
“A deceptively unrelenting climb through bracken paths to the rocky summit outcrop”
A little history:
In the Lake District, the natural landscape provides a home to many fell races, but here they are often known as Guide Races. The name Guide is thought to stem from the 18th century, when tourists seeking to take exercise used the knowledge and skill of the local fellsmen to guide them over the mountain areas. One theory for the actual ‘Guide Race’ is that during their spare time, the guides held competitions amongst themselves racing to the top of the nearest fell and back."
Photo of Andy with Alistair Dunn (6th on the day) - Alva legend who won 8 years back to back 2006 - 2013

Monday 23 July 2018

Innerleithen St Ronans Border Games 2018 including Lee Pen Hill Race

There was another good Moorfoot turnout at the Innerleithen's St Ronans Border Games.

Moorfoot athletes won both the Youth and Open 800m in a repeat of last year’s victories with Craig Angus and Kobe Stevens winning the respective races, both having to do it as back markers. Very well done. Track results are here
Craig

Kobe

The Lee Pen Hill Race was won by Scott Fraser of Hunters Bog Trotters in the very quick time of 24:45, slightly ahead of his team mate James Dunn who already has had success this season in the Tweed Valley by winning the Gypsy Glen race in May.

First Moorfoot home was Andy Cox in 4th in a new PB for race in 27:17 and picked up the first local prize, and snapping at the heels of the evergreen Colin Donnelly who recently returned with an M55 individual silver medal from the World Masters Mountain Running Championships in Slovenia. Despite the PB Andy was disappointed with his race and got it out of his system by running it again after the Games were over (and still ran it in under 29 mins!).

Dave Gaffney had a very strong run continuing to see his times improving on the hills to finish in 7th and clock 28:52 (second Vet and second Local), and 40 secs faster than last year, and finished ahead of the new M40 East District Hill Champ, Jamie McGowan from Gala Harriers. Colin Williams on the over hand recorded a Personal Worst in 32:12, but it’s the taking part that’s important....

First female home was Innerleithen local Kathleen Henderson with a very impressive 32:56, managing to catch the 1st Woman Vet, Gillian Cairns of Penicuik Harriers on the descent (34:16).

Full results here . Many thanks to Bob Johnson of Gala Harriers, and Walkerburn resident, for sponsoring the Hill Race, as well as finishing 17th in it.
The Tension builts

Dave Gaffney leaving the park, local Kat Henderson following
Scott Fraser back in the field about to finish

Dave Gaffney going to the line
Photo Album by Alan Clyne has some good pictures https://www.flickr.com/photos/153453976@N03/albums/72157698904467274/with/43516698722/

Jacob and Darin flex muscles at Musselburgh

Jacob Adkin was racing his first road 10km yesterday at Musselburgh on Saturday 21 July and won in an amazing time of 31 mins 47 secs! WOW!! (Jacob was running for his first claim club Edinburgh Uni).

Darin Dougal also ran a cracking 36:40 for his fastest time in 3 years - speedy!
Photo Album by Bob Marshall: https://photos.app.goo.gl/mF4FFYc8pXPyDZda7
Results will be here: https://www.musselburghac.com/festival-race

Sunday 8 July 2018

Blue sky for the ‘Black Hill’

Robert Wilson's report:
Tuesday night was the annual running of the Black Hill race at Earlston. The race started from the town square and is an 8.2km run with a 220m climb. Views from the top, like the weather, were magnificent and through the sweat you could see for miles. There was a total of 79 runners and the results are in the link below;
Black Hill results
There was the traditional Black Hill t-shirt given out – some might think that’s the only reason I run this race!

Robert's Black Hill T-shirt collection (great value race with entry less than a tenner!)

Tuesday 3 July 2018

Weekend Round up - Alpine Jacob, Cumbrian Coxy, Scottish Sam, Coastal Colin, Alan in the Arrochars

 

Lots of Moorfoot action this weekend but it has to start with:

Jacob Adkin wins Mt Blanc Vertical Kilometre

Salomon sponsored Jacob Adkin, who has been spending the summer training in Chamonix and covering some major altitude going by his Strava feed tasted success at the Mont Blanc Marathon Festival. Jacob won the gruelling Vertical Kilometre in 34:46 – destroying the field and beating the second-placed runner by over 3 minutes!

To give you an indication of how fast Jacob went Gavin Bryson from Lauder recently finished third at the East District hill champs which were incorporated with the Eildon Hill Race in Melrose last weekend. Gavin was also out racing the Vertical Kilometre and finished 9.5 minutes behind Jacob! Results: http://www.montblancmarathon.net/images/mbmarathon/doc_pdf/2018/classement_KMV_2018.pdf

You know you are going well when Kilian Journet 'likes' your run

Back in Britain the weather was meaning it was hot work ~

Andy Cox continued with his goal of completing enough races in the British Open Fell Runners Association (BOFRA) series to get a ranking putting in a fine run to finish 5th Kirkby Gala Fell Race in Southern Cumbria http://www.bofra.org.uk/assets/racepages/kirkby/kirkby.php

Sam MacNeil took part in the Scottish Summer 10k in Edinburgh finishing a very creditable 7th
http://scottishrunningguide.com/assets/2018/the-great-scottish-summer-run-10k/results/10kgreatscottishsummerrun-sunday-01july2018-overallresults.pdf

Colin Williams raced at the spectacularly beautiful Northumberland Coastal Marathon starting in Alnmouth and along trails and beaches heading up past Dunstanburgh Castle to Beadnell Bay and back. Organised by the North East Marathon Club where the emphasis is on completing rather than competing Colin finished 3rd in 3:32 and was rather dried out by the end! http://www.northeastmarathonclub.co.uk/coastal.php

Alan Elder was at the formidable Arrochar Alps Hill Race (16.75 miles, 7,600 feet of climb!) and valiantly stopped to assist in an emergency to a walker on final descent. Respect to Alan.