Wreckless Merrick

Friday night and home from home at Stereo in Renfield Lane for another dose of Eric and Amy. A longtime favourite of ours. Eric is getting on a bit, now a grandad. They were on good form and about 80 people enjoyed a 2 hour set, some good banter with plenty of songs mixed in. A few of his original tunes, some of Amy's and the rest either from their last album or latest album of covers. An odd mix, Eric one of the original Stiff record label performers and Amy an American Country and Western singer. Plenty of examples on YouTube even a few from Friday night.

Sunday another favourite, Merrick Hill Race. For those who can read maps, here's a link to a map of the route. Eight ands a half miles with 3300 feet of ascent. The undulating route takes in five hills and a couple of ridges.

The field of 34 set off at one, jump a stream and run for about 30 yards then drop into walk mode up the first climb of the day. The pattern repeats itself over the first four and a half miles as the route winds up to Merrick.

The route was flagged for the first and last few miles but none in the middle from the climb into the mist on Ben Yellary until you came back out the mist descending the Rig of the Gloon. However for those unfamiliar with the route there was plenty of Raynet marshalls at strategic points to help out if neccessary.

The traverse to pick up the ridge to Buchan Hill tussocky as usual and managed to pass two runners. I'd been tracking them for a while after they passed me on the second climb of the day, this gave me a bit of a lift and the extra energy to push on and soon put a good distance between us along the ridge.

An occaisonal glance up and I could see the next two runners further along the ridge. At the end its brakes off for the run down Buchan Hill, near the bottom was rather churned up, someone must have let the cows out.  Got to within a few yards of the runner in front by jumping the fence at the bottom and just managed to avoid a collision with the photographer but then lost out by about thirty seconds on the short but steep uphill run to the finish.

Race time 2 hours 13 mins finishing 21st. A grand day out for this low key race over typical Galloway hill country, a bit rough but with plenty of runnable bits.