About 40 of us set off for the 20 yard run before we relaxed into walk mode up the Fell of Esconchan, just over 12 minutes of huff puff and sweat before I was running across the top. Another walk up the steep lower slopes of Bennan, into the mist for a staggery traverse round Bennan's top skipping over rocks and holes. Steady run through Course Craig apart from the swampy bits, climbed the wall at the bottom of Benyellary into a world of wind and rain, hat and jacket to the rescue for a head down plod up the tussocky hillside, running again as I approached the top, the running action helped to keep me warm rather than making me any faster. Visibility not good, but walls and paths to follow. The front runners coming back now, ghosting by in the mist on a variety of lines along the Neive of the Spit. Now for the last climb to the top of Merrick, I can run most of this. Round the cairn in 78 minutes. Pass the last few runners coming up Merrick on my way back, run up Benyellary and down the tussocky slopes to Course Craig, over the wall and escape from the windy rainy torture chamber. Tired legs evident on the traverse round Benan , the steep trods at the bottom churned up by the runners in front make for a fun descent and I manage to catch a couple of runners at the bottom. Run over the undulating last top before a steep swampy trod back down to the start. Finished in 2 hours 11. Some more pictures here. More pictures here. Tough wee race, about 8 1/2 miles. Big thanks to the cheery marshalls on Bennan, Benyellary and Merrick who stood there in pretty horrible conditions.
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