Stuc a Chroin Hill Race

STUC A CHROIN HILL RACE
SATURDAY 3 MAY 2008
13 MILES 5300 FEET

Westies did well at the Stuc race this year with newcomer Elsie Riley doing great to win the female race and David Riach placing in the top ten. The slog up the forestry track never gets easy, and it took me the full 20 mins to the end of itto feel warmed up, sort of. My poor wee legs were feeling the effects of last week’s Three Peaks race so I tried to relax and just enjoy the race. The precipitous climb up the Corbett of Ben Each was, well steep and heathery, heathery and steep. I slowly edged a few places here before the cracking undulating ridge along to the foot of Stuc, where the leaders had already came down. Plenty of chance to say hello to everybody as they flew past in the opposite direction. Turned at the top feeling great and taking in the beautiful views and then hared off the long descent all the way down to Glen Ample for that infamous slog back up the final climb. Caught a few here by ever so slowly crawling past them, then big gaps ahead meant a solo last few miles to finish just over 3 hours. Well pleased with the time on tired legs and still in the top half of the field. I even got to down a couple of pints of the specially brewed “Stuc a Chroin Anniversary Ale” in the pub after. A grand day out, many thanks to the masses of helpers strung out everywhere on the course handing out virtually unlimited supplies of water and goodies, and well done all you Westies.

7 David Riach MV 02:31:46
20 Simon Triger M 02:45:53
25 Graham Kelly M 02:48:00
26 Don Reid MSV 02:48:19
41 Crawford Spence M 02:59:12
52 Murdo Macleod MSV 03:04:14
54 John Donnelly MV 03:05:48
63 Elsie Riley F 03:14:53
102 Elspeth Scott FV 03:37:26
120 Davy Broni MSV 04:16:52

121 finishers 5 drop-outs

Full results

Photos