Stuc a Chroin 5000 Hill Race

Back for another go at this race, 174 started, 160 finished, a few, including me, timed out at the crossover point Bealach Nam Cabar, arriving 10 minutes before the cut off they told me it had been brought forward due to the poor weather, disappointing and had to take the return route missing out the out and back to the Stuc, made worse as I got sunburn on the run back to the finish.

Slight route change as the path through the forest waterlogged so more forest road at the start and finish. Usual cheery race marshals with water, jelly babies and chocolate at many points along the course. Started off with a steady run on the forest road, jog walked across Meall Mor and the steep drop into Glen Ample. Didn't push too hard up Beinn Eich, left the summit for the undulating ridge run to the Stuc. Arrived at the crossover about 5 or 10 mins slower than  last year but inside the cutoff, a marshal standing in the dip indicating they would pull me but I could go on on my own. Reached the group of marshals beyond who said that I was being timed out, the cut off had been brought forward due to the bad weather and lessons learned from previous years (one year near arctic conditions at the top meant a few runners and marshals had to be helped off suffering from hypothermia). None too happy but didn't argue with the marshal and turned back onto the route to the finish, arriving there just over an hour later, the climb out Glen Ample feeling much easier than usual without the out and back to the Stuc. Finished just over three hours.