Ben Nevis Race 2016

My 12th go at this race, missed last years after a fall on the Cobbler which put me out for weeks, slowly getting back out there and pleased to get my entry back in January. Managed to avoid a similar problem this year and set off on Saturday morning for the 2 hour drive to Fort Bill. Sun began to break through at Ballachulish, maybe a good day. Race start reasonably clear, charge round the games field up the road and onto the tourist path, took the first shortcut, no gain or loss, left the second one and stayed on the path, gained about 20 yards, kept jogging until the trail steepens, start to walk and lose places, leave the path for the rocky groove round to the Red Burn, not losing places anymore, welcome drink from the Red Burn, tastes great. Straight up from here grass turns to gravel and rock.

Plodding up into the mist.

Gradually pick up pace as the gradient eases, jogging over the shattered rocks that cover the summit, the turning point seems further back this year, hand over wristband, gloves on and set off down over ouchy rocks, gradient soon increases and keep running into traffic, each one a puzzle to work out how to get past safely, soon back to the Red Burn, another refreshing drink, not allowed down the grassy bank this year, stay on the same trail as we came up, longer but seems easier to run, more traffic, back on to the tourist path, more of it this year, not so good to run down, round the corner and back into the glen, take a bumslide to miss a zig zag then the same short cut as on the way out, losing a place to a better route choice kick starts my effort and gain two or three by the road, push all the way back to the start, its downhill, mostly, manage to gain another few places and lose one, into the games field pick off a couple then steady to finish just over 2 hours 40. A good race. A few more pictures here.