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by Kenny Taylor

Now in its third year the ATR, organised by AdventureZone Scotland, is a 13.8 mile off road trail race. The route follows the historic Antonine Wall. Conveniently, the event starts and finishes at Croy railway station – a twenty-minute drive from Glasgow making it accessible by car and train.

This was my second time running the event. Last year I ran with some work colleagues and knew very little about what to expect. Fairly new to trail and hill running it was fair to say I was slightly apprehensive about what to expect. Standing there on the start line I was totally out of my comfort zone in my shiny new trail shoes which stood out like a sore thumb amongst the hordes of muddy and well trodden Salomons.

I start by mentioning last year as the ATR is a sort of starting point in my off-road running obsession. I remember the race well, particularly the fact that I exceeded my own pre-race expectations and that we exchanged positions for most of the race with a tattooed guy with an epic beard in Roman Gladiator sandals. I remember being in equal parts puzzled and curious about the guy with the distinctive appearance who was apparently breezing the race in sandals. I had read “Born to Run” whilst travelling that summer and knew a little about barefoot running, but it was a surprise to see sandals on what I expected to be a very rough and technical course.

Anyway fast forward twelve months and I’ve now run a number of off-road races, including the recent Glencoe Marathon. In fact this year I have run as many off-road miles as I have on the tarmac. I’ve also met the aforementioned bearded, tattooed and sandal-clad runner who is now well known to me as Graham Kelly. We’ve crossed paths at numerous races, while I’ve been out training hikes with some of my pupils and at this year’s London Marathon. As it turns out we are also both regular runners, and beer drinkers, with the Westies Cross Country Running Club in Glasgow.

So back to this year’s ATR race. It was run in fairly awful conditions with all 200 runners huddling under a family-sized gazebo pre-race to listen to the race briefing before setting off. The first two miles follow the golf course along a narrow path that does not permit passing. Remembering this from last year I tried to place myself in the pack but probably went about 20 places ahead of where I should be in a very strong field. So I found myself running too fast early on but it was difficult to fall back so I decided to ease back at mile three. This coincided with monsoon rain conditions that had me considering whether a walk back to the train station for an early bath would be an appropriate course of action.

Negative thoughts were buried to the back of the mind and I carried on. Thankfully the rain died away to a more gentle ‘lashing it down’. The first ten miles of the race are net downhill so it is easy to get carried away as you run through Kelvin Valley before approaching the town of Twechar. However any thoughts of speeding up were curtailed around mile 8 on the approach to Twechar by the 100 metre swim section – a new addition this year – thanks to the previously mentioned monsoon rain waters. Knee-deep wading at the foot of the valley gave a good chance to take a breath before the first climb up the forestry trail behind the town. This is the first of two small climbs on the route – cruelly both ascents are placed in the last few miles of the race.

A short descent follows the first climb before a steep climb up Croy Hill at mile 12. By this time I realised I was on track to match last year’s sub 2 hour finish, not bad considering Glencoe and the Cowalfest ‘mountain’ races had drained my legs in the last fortnight. I gleefully tore down the other side of Croy Hill and along the now swamp-like narrow trail at the golf course to finish in 1 hour 57. A good run in dreadful conditions. 13.8 miles is a real mind messer for the road running side of my brain and I again found the last half mile much tougher than it should have been due to my obsession with the magic numbers of 13.1 and 26.2.

Overall I really enjoyed the ATR and would happily recommend it to others. My now well trodden Salomons coped well. However, I’m not quite ready to run the race in a pair of sandals. Speaking of sandals, I bumped into Graham again at the end of this year’s race. He didn’t run in his sandals this year but being back at the ATR reminded me how my running tastes and preferences have changed over the last twelve months since my first visit to the Antonine Wall. Graham’s inspiration for ‘barefoot running’ comes from the Tarahumara. He has taken part in the Tarahumara Ultra Race outlined in the book “Born to Run”. Who knows, maybe one day the Dunoon Hill Runners vest will make an appearance there – I’m working on Lisa to see if Mexico can be considered as a honeymoon destination.

Kenny’s race info can be found here.

Cowalfest 10K and 5K Trails Races winners (click to enlarge)

The Cowalfest 5K Fun Run and 10K were once again well received on Sunday (12 October) with runners coming from as far as Perthshire to participate in the stunning setting of Benmore Botanical Gardens. The weather was perfect and times were fast in the well attended 10k.

David Millar defended his 2013 title in a blistering 34 minutes, followed closely by Dunoon Hill Runners own David Walsh, Lisa Marshall and Pam Forsyth. Local Sam Way also ran a very keen race to finish first veteran male, followed by Marion Houston picking up the female veteran trophy.

In the untimed 5K Fun Run, a large number of participants, some out for their first time, had a fast race with local Dominick Kerr picking up the trophy very closely followed by Nicky Ritchie. Clare McFadden running for Dunoon Hill Runners lifted first female home while Mhairi Hunter won the first local female, all runners of course received a finishers pottery medal specially designed by Blue Sky Craft and a goody bag.

Organisers said: “The Cowalfest committee would like to thank all staff at Benmore Botanical Gardens and the shop and café, volunteers and marshals without whom the races would not be possible, sponsors including Run4It, 9Bar, SCOTTISH RUNNING GUIDE, Purdie’s Dunoon, Fynest Fish Inveraray, Argyll Holidays for providing our much needed water station and junior goody bags, Winston Churchill Venison, Loch Fyne Oysters, Fyne Ales, Blue Sky Craft for the pottery medals and Ken Clark Photography for providing the runners with some very special mementoes. Look forward to seeing you all next year.”

Photos courtesy of Ken Clark Photography can be found here.

Photos courtesy of Alan G Forsyth Photography can be found here

Race results are here.

Dunoon Hill Runners were well represented at the Glencoe Marathon and Mamores Half Marathon on Sunday 5 October 2014.

Race results are here.

The Sunday morning ferry to Gourock was abuzz with nervous anticipation as 10 Dunoon Hill Runners plus their supporters made their way to Glasgow for the Great Scottish Run 2014. The weekend saw the city invaded by runners of all ages and abilities, and the Dunoon club was represented in both the 10K and the half marathon.

Dunoon Hill Runners’ Richie Longster

The starting point for the races was George Square where there was a real sense of celebration as various sports personalities participated in the build-up commentary to encourage everyone who was competing. The half marathon itself was led off by the elite runners, including the great Haile Gebrselassie, as well as Commonwealth Gold Medal 2014 marathon winner, Michael Shelley, and last year’s GSR women’s winner, Susan Partridge. Dunoon Hill Runners were scattered across the following 3 waves that headed up St Vincent Street and over the Kingston Bridge. They were soon enjoying the sights and sounds of the race including pipers, drummers and the many spectators cheering them on. With the club vests proudly on display, shouts of “Come on, Dunoon!” from the Glasgow crowd spurred the Cowal team forward. Despite a previously ominous forecast which had resulted in the organisers advising everyone to prepare for cool and wet conditions, the rain largely held off and there was only one refreshing torrential shower.

Roger and Kristine Stewart, Bobby Good and Linda Good of Team DHR

This year’s course was different from last year’s and contained a few more hills which, despite not being on trails, were right up the Hill Runners’ street! The course took in Pollok Country Park and Bellahouston Park before heading back alongside the Clyde to finish at Glasgow Green. The race was won by Stephen Mokoka of South Africa (61:25) and Edna Kiplagat of Kenya (67:57), with team Dunoon Hill Runners not too far behind.

It was great to see the Dunoon Hill Runners club represented for the first time at the Great Scottish Run – an exciting and special event in the Scottish racing calendar – with each of the DHR team successfully completing and a few firsts and personal bests achieved.

DHR runners were: John Colquhoun, Sarah Colquhoun, Pam Forsyth, Bobby Good, Linda Good, Jamie Laing, Richard Longster, Suzanne Longster, Kristine Stewart, Roger Stewart

Race results can be found here.

Photo gallery below courtesy of Alan G Forsyth Photography