Merrick Hill Race 2016

The Scottish counter in the British hill running championship, and part of the SHR Champs as well, a return to almost the original route, one of my fav races, just missing out Bennan, probably due to deer fencing. About 200 set off for 8 miles and 3000' of ascent, short trot along from the car park towards Bruces Stoneto spread us out a bit, sharp left and jog walking up Ben Yellary, a steep muddy, potholed, rocky path, topped out in a few minutes, running again across the short undulating boggy section to the forest road, the stoney road drops down to meet the tourist path towards Ben Yellary, managed to keep running, gradually working ahead of a few determined jog walkers, up over the top speeding down the Neive of the Spit to the traversing climb up Merrick, nearly at the top and those ahead speed past off to the right, round the cairn and chase after them down the Rig of the Gloon, at the bottom its typical Galloway tussocks then a short trudge in a ditch beside a wall up to the undulating ridge to Buchan Hill. The run down, a boggy rocky path come stream to start then something of a path covered with potholes and tussocks before a couple of fields.

 Photo courtesy of Scottish Hill Runners

Turn out onto a forest road for the last hurrah, only about 250m but steeply twisting up to finish in about 2 hours 9. More pictures here.

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.