The Donkey Brae 7 Mile 2017

As I did not have the Islay Half to look forward to this year I decided to enter The Donkey Brae 7 miler through in Aberdour, part of the Aberdour festival week events. It just shows the popularity of running at the moment. This race has never sold out before and you could normally enter on the day. However by the time I decided to enter this race at the beginning of July it had sold out and I found myself on the waiting list. It was only the week before the race when I got notification to say I had a place.

So on Sunday 30 July I found myself in Fife to do this race. Strangely I was in Fife racing and there was no sign of George! I suspect it was not far enough north in Fife for George.

The race itself started on a grass field and headed down the field before heading for some trail paths and then down a steep flight of stairs and then up a long hill. It was certainly a very scenic race and the weather was lovely. It proceeded to head along past the golf course and from what I remember it gradually climbed. We had possibly gone through some trails again. There was a turn and this took us past a field. This section was on Tarmac and the majority of the race was either Tarmac or trail paths. We eventually came to the edge of Dalgety Bay and from here you had great views across the Firth of Forth to Edinburgh. We came up a small slope and into a residential area of Dalgety Bay. I just remember being rather warm and to my relief we ran by a house where the owner had his garden hose pipe spurting water out into the street for the runners' benefit. Very welcome this was! It was then a small slope and a turn which took us back towards Aberdour. This was a quiet country path section that eventually ran into trail paths and then back by the golf course. I struggled in the first part of this race and was ready to settle into a steady run. However I got a second wind on the last part and managed to overtake a female runner who had overtaken  me about 2 miles or so into the race. I felt I was now running strongly. The long hill at the beginning turned into a nice downhill at the end and then I came along the west beach area of Aberdour. I did have the steep climb back up the stairs and this took my second wind out of me. The finish line could not come quick enough as I was struggling to run but I still had the grassy field to contend with which was an uphill finish.

I finished in a time of 48.48 for 3rd female and 1st vet.  All things considered particularly as I look back and reflect on the first mile or two this seemed not too bad a run in the end. I would certainly say though it was a hilly course and the trail paths made for harder running than the fast flat Parkrun I had done at Strathclyde Park the day before.

The one downside - I sat in the field after the race. The weather was lovely. Must have sat for an hour waiting on the prize giving and only discovered just before it started that there had been a beer tent and I could have been sitting with a gin in my hand relaxing! I will not forget this for future.

I had walked around the field  before the race as there were a lot of craft and food stalls (how I never noticed the bar though!). This made for a really nice day and the atmosphere was good. Their festival looks good - a right community feel about it.

Now that the race was over I had to get myself to Burntisland and so I ran the two or so miles along the Fife coastal path (trail paths - as if I had not had enough of trail paths for one day). I must admit though on a dry day this was a lovely route and yet again there was great views across the Firth of Forth to Edinburgh.

Julie