Merrick Hill Race

One of my favourite races, usually a 9 mile mini round, route change this year to an out and back as the coos had trampled the the Buchan hillside to death with lots of unseen hoofprints to catch the unwary. Improving forecast all week for a typical Merrick day, sunny with a cool breeze. We start with the usual 20 yard dash then into walk mode as we all bunch up the Fell of Eschoncan, 800' in 1/3 of a mile, its a bit of a squidgy sheep track from half way up and onto the top. We spread out pretty quickly running a series of undulations, first towards then up and over Benan, along Coarse Craig and up Ben Yellary dropping down the Neive of the Spit before the runnable climb up Merrick, the leaders flying past on their way back. I reach the top of Merrick in the usual 73 minutes. A quick picture looking out to Ailsa Craig then off down the hill.

Theres a few in front to catch and pass two just before the climb back up Ben Yellary means I have to keep running to the top, luckily its only a couple of hundred feet. Picked my route down BY on the way out, works well bypassing the rocks. Closing a few in front but not quickly and eased back for a boulder hopping run over and round Benan's ankle trashing slopes. Managed a few overtaking moves on the run down to FoE good squidgy undualting fun, gasped up the last 100' of climb. Last hurrah down 800' of muddy tussocks slowed me down, a few slips, trips and falls on tired legs before a final brakes off plunge down the grassy trod. Finished just inside 2 hours for the first time in 8 years of trying, and it took a route change to get me there. Super wee low key race, an apple and a jacuzzi stream bath to finish. A few more pictures from the day here and here and here. Merrick was also my "centenary" race on Scottish Hill Racing .