Ochil 2000s

(photos courtesy of SHR)


5 Harriers (plus Bob running in Ochil HRs colours) took part in the Ochil 2000s race on Saturday 23rd August. This 18 mile 5000ft tour of all the high points in the Ochils was the latest in the SHR Championship series and so attracted a much larger and field than last year with 160 runners including some of the top men and women in the country.

The race is a point to point from Glendevon to Stirling Uni (involving a tedious 30 minute bus ride beforehand) and while the first half is on good paths and tracks, the second half is more a random routefinding exercise across heather, peat hags and bogs culminating in a climb up Dumyat and descent to the university.

The race was won by Colin Donnelly of Lochaber in a new record time of 2.47.44 while first woman home was, inevitably, Angela Mudge who, in finishing 5th in 2.51.33 set a new course record by nearly 45 minutes.

All the Harriers performed well and, in fact managed to finish 7th team out of 14 clubs who fielded the requisite 3 runners.

Will Manners can be very pleased with his finish in 13th place and 3.04.19, just 4 minutes outside the old course record. Considering the quality of the field this represents a really outstanding performance.

The other Harriers finished as follows:

40th Phil Mestecky 3.25.35
67th Graeme Johnstone 3.41.07
107th Gordon Morrison 4.04.55
126th James Bussey 4.18.31

And Bob Hughes running for Ochils was 100th in 4.01.26