Tomnabat Hill Race

Where has the summer gone? It seems to have rained for the past 3 days non-stop. So gone are the great running conditions. Replaced by the normal boggy state of affairs. Due to forecast I decided that if I wanted to get a race in it would have to be relatively close to Inverness. So Tomnabat Hill Race (AS 5.5km 380m or thereabouts) as part of the Tomintoul Highland Games was chosen in preference to Glamaig on Skye.

Arriving in the driving rain in Tomintoul, I discovered that most of the events had been cancelled but the hill race was still on. I had never run the route, but had heard all sorts of rumours of man-eating ditches and head-high heather.

It was a pretty small field of runners at the start and I was soon at the front with Jason Williamson on the first track section and a guy running for Fife. After a couple of minutes we reached a gate, hopped over it and then headed up the unflagged section to the top of the hill. I didn't have a clue of where to go, other than up, but after an initially section of scrub, the heather was low and it was all runnable. Thankfully after the summit the route was well flagged again. I don't think I would have found my way down without them. Deep heather, trees and steep slopes all made more interesting by the amount of water in the sky as well as underfoot. After a very short section of estate road it was back up on a small track, initially steep but soon easing off, back over the shoulder of Tom na Bat. This last climb, wet again, dragged allowing me to finally get some distance on Jason. The drop down back to the road was slow. Flatter areas of bog were energy sapping and the slow progress downhill was dispiriting and I was paying for my efforts on the climb. By the time I was at the road it was only about 600m back to the finish and I was pretty sure I could hold on for the win. I dug deep and finally made it round the games field to finish in 32.06. The wettest race of the year so far!

It was a great tough race route and there were even the cash prizes at the end - despite the games effectively being called off. So no excuses not to treat Emily, my wife, and Owen, my son, to scones and hot chocolate in the great cafe at the Old Firestation in Tomintoul.