Pentland Skyline (Running)

Monday 13 October 2008 09:45AM

The last time I ran the Pentland Skyline race was in 2004. I was just back from an expedition to Kyrgyzstan and had spent most of the previous month sick with some sort of nasty stomach bug. I remember thinking I might run really well because I’d been at altitude for so long (basecamp was at 4000m), and setting off with the leaders. That lasted approximately to the top of the first hill, where I began to realise how much the expedition had taken out of me. I spent the whole of the rest of the race being passed by people. I don’t think I passed a single runner for the whole of the race.

So this year’s race could only go better than that really. I tracked my old friend Stewart Whitlie on the first climb, then found myself in the lead on the first descent. The next few climbs and descents followed the same pattern – Stewart catching me on climbs and me dropping him on descents. I felt like I was running really well but was always aware of Al Anthony, tracking us from about fifty metres behind. Al’s a superb runner, but in the past he’s often struggled in longer races. Stewart informed me that this year he seems to have found the solution to running long races and has won a few, so I wasn’t that suprised when he passed both Stewart and me on the run up black hill (just after half way). After this Stu and I started to pay for our first-half pace, and it became increasingly clear that Al had been biding his time as he dissappeared into the distance! I struggled on the bog and heather of Black hill and Bells hill, but managed to keep myself within striking distance of Stu, finally catching him at the top of the final hill as his legs deserted him. Knowing I’m usually stronger than him on descents, the rest seemed like a formality, but Stewart is a tough competitor, and mounted a little sprint finish that I just managed to hold off. I finished second, 42 minutes faster than 2004, but nine minutes behind Al!

Results here.

Some pictures here. I’m the one with the red T shirt and the silly headband on.

On a random tangent, Colin Wells has just written a “Who’s Who” book on British climbing. It must be a comprehensive book, because I’m in it, and was featured the other day in their daily extracts from the book. See here.