SVHC/Bathgate Highland Games Hill Race/Treasure Hunt

A last minute decision saw me join Frances Maxwell and Sandy Hayden in Bathgate for the next race in the Scottish Veteran Harriers Grand Prix series (my first of the season but Frances is right up there in contention), the Bathgate Highland Games hill race. You will have spotted the immediate flaw in this introduction as, at 24 years old, Sandy is by no means a veteran but that was a minor concern at this very low key event. I did this race a few years ago in atrocious weather and was expecting an out and back race which was essentially an uphill road race with the final 300m ascent on a tractor track and then back the same way to the start in Bathgate town centre, totalling 6 miles. However, due to the incorporation of the British Pipe Band Championships, the Highland Games had moved to a much bigger venue at the sports centre/golf course on the edge of the town (scene of Calderglen's silver medal at the British Masters Cross Country Relay Championships 10 years ago). Having found the venue, the next problem was finding registration. After wandering aimlessly for a while, I eventually noticed a member of the (closed) sports centre staff guarding a fire exit and indeed, this was the entrance to a small room where registrations were being taken. I was number 9 to register which did not bode well for a large field given that I arrived late. It turned out that Frances and Sandy were numbers 1 and 2! Sandy was declared ineligible for a prize due to being too young, an unusual situation for a Harrier, but Frances and I passed the age test. Eventually another couple of handfuls of runners appeared taking the potential field up to about 20.

The next problem was what course would we run? There was an animated debate going on among the organisers on whether we should just run out onto the main road and pick up the old course which would give us about 3 miles total or, as the lead motorbike rider suggested, we follow the old course up the hill to the mast and then on the way down turn right to Torpichen and take in a loop around there (all downhill I was told) before rejoining the main road back to Bathgate. This would be about 6 miles. Luckily, minutes before the start, the decision was made, it would be the 6 mile course (which turned out to be 5.4 miles but I was not complaining).

Then we were off, immediately uphill onto the main road and then a back road, climbing constantly. Despite not being a traditional, cross-country hill race, this event has atmosphere, at least for the leaders due to the lead bike being a 1950's BSA motorbike which was burning a bit of oil! I soon found myself and another local runner leading and pulling away but was cursing myself for not being able to just let someone else set the pace for a change, pushing on uphill in the hope that I could drop him and relax. Unfortunately last weekends 1500 foot WHW climb, a lingering cold from earlier in the week and a big climb on Thursday's club run meant that my legs were not at their springiest. Still, I made it to the radio mast just in front and turned for the descent. On reaching the road after 300m downhill, I saw to my surprise that we were going up again which the local guy explained to me was only a brief climb; I was not expecting any up hills on the way down, if you see what I mean. But I was soon to regret the course being so downhill as we had essentially 3 miles to charge downhill at speeds which were often at 4:30 miling which hurts whether it is downhill or not. After a mile of descent my legs were dead and I had to let the local, younger guy go, staying about 20m or so behind him. There were a few more slight up hills before the finish where we both struggled and I had brief thoughts that I might manage to accelerate back on to his heels on these sections but the legs and heart said no. I crossed the line 9 seconds behind the winner in a time of 32:14, 2nd overall and technically first M50 (much to the disappointment of 3rd place Hamilton Harrier who was also M50 and thought I had to be 40 something!). Some 7 minutes later, Frances was in a downhill sprint finish, which, as I expected, she won and was first lady and first F50. Sandy was doing this race as a pre-holiday strength builder, confronting here hatred of hills. This she certainly did and has taken another step towards becoming a great runner in years to come. As is traditional, the treasure hunt ended with a search for a nice cafe. Despite some locals saying we would need a car to get to a cafe, we found a nice Italian restaurant in the high street a short walk away (closer than where my car was parked anyway) and tucked into banoffee cake and coffees all round. A great wee afternoon.
Alan