Stuc race back on this year, over 250 entered, forecast was for rain to increase throughout the afternoon, morning was fine, high cloud, maybe it would be ok. Rain came in shortly before the start. Set off at 1pm, a piper sounding the charge. A couple of miles on forest roads and grassy forest paths before the open hillside is reached, A mile of undulating up past Meall Mor before the steep drop into Glen Ample, Beinn Each next, 1500' in just under a mile, you pull yourself up a series of steep ramps using a mixture of heather and old fence posts, the gradient eases for a short traverse then kicked up again into the mist to Eachs summit and cheery marshals. A steep rocky path off the back on to an undulating ridge for a couple of miles to the top of the Stuc, hat blew off, another cheery marshal retrieved under penalty of 15 laps round the summit cairn. A mile and a half back along the ridge is Bealach nan Cabar where we dropped back into Glen Ample traversing along narrow paths to meet the outward trail. The climb out Glen (cr)Ample always fun, about 600' in less than half a mile, cramp offset by a handful of raisins and cranberries, very affective, cramps dissipating in a minute or two enabling an energetic stomp to the top. Just over three miles remain over moorland then forest paths and roads, pushed on free from cramp until the last 100 yards when it came back with a vengeance, hobbled over the line in 3 hrs 44, a couple of minutes slower than 2019. Well organised race, fully marked with taped stakes every 20 or 30 yards, it would be difficult to get lost. Even post covid a huge number of marshals along the course keeps everyone fuelled up with water and jelly babies.
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