Durisdeer

Nearly 300 lined up next to Durisdeer church for the Scottish and British championship race, I ran it in 2012 when it was a Scottish Championship race, 150 ran that day. Overcast today, not much of a breeze made for a warm run. About 11 miles and 3800' of ascent. There are 5 climbs, Black Hill to start and finish, a couple of colls and Well Hill, the initial climb and Well Hill not too runnable the rest are if you've got the energy. Set off steady keeping to the lower path. Relaxed descent off Pettylung towards Dalveen, running most of the way round Staygail apart from the trudge to the second coll. Soon running again, this route has a lot of ankle and knee trashing traversing! The climb alongside the Lavern Burn tussocky and slow, not a slow as the climb up Well Hill, kept the effort up from here on.

Tussocky undulations on the way up Well Hill

Run mostly down until the second climb up Black Hill, ran the last section catching and closing those in front, pushed the first part of the descent catching another couple, steady round another traverse before last gasping descent, across the bridge, a short up and sprint back to the church for coffee, sandwiches and cakes, finished just over 2:20 204th out of 269 finishers. Sunday cool down run up to the fort, a fresher sunny June day.