Callander Crags Race

Sandy in full flight

A band of Harriers travelled from near and far for the annual Callander Crags Race, a blast up, along and down the craggy cliff that forms the northern backdrop to Callander. Total (horizontal) distance as measured by GPS is about 5k with a total climb of around 285m. The first third of that distance is a constant, steep and direct climb to the cairn marking the summit and the remaining two thirds is a predominantly downward mix of rough terrain, single track tarmac and trail back to the start/finish line.

The skies were overcast and the temperature around the +6 deg C mark, pretty good for this event and with a generally dry preceding week, the underfoot conditions were about as good as they get for the winter edition of this race (although that does not mean they were good!).

Gordon McInally, Marion O'Connor, Chris McCarron, Frances & Geo Ferguson, Joanne McEvoy, Sandy Hayden, Kai Wheeler and Russell Couper lined up along with myself and what looked like about 70 or 80 runners of all ages for the typically entertaining pre-race briefing from Alistair Johnstone before we all set off on the click of the starting gun (it failed to go off until a few seconds after we had all gone).

My main worry was whether to do the race or not given my recent and on-going lung issue. As a local, I've been doing this race or training up the hill literally all my running life so I knew that there was no way of just cruising around the course without stressing the lungs. Put a Calderglen vest on me and there is then no chance of me taking it easy. Sensibly or not, I decided to do it.

The first thing I found out is that the past 3 or 4 months of reduced intensity training has left my legs with no speed and I got dropped in the initial 50m sprint to the narrow path at the start of the relentless climb (18%+ gradient on average if you do the maths). Therefore I was in a little bit of a traffic jam for the first 50m or so of the climb as I picked my way around people who had dropped me on that initial sprint but who more or less stopped when they hit the hill. However, I was soon gliding (at least that what Joanne tells me) past people and onwards up the hill, lungs already burning and nobody was going past me as I gradually moved through the field. About two thirds of the way up, I made the mistake of being so focused on the backs of two non-locals right in front of me, that I followed them on the left hand fork where the path splits into a more direct and less direct route. Unfortunately, the more direct route is also much more lumpy and needed some arm strength to haul me up as I watched runners passing me on the correct path 5m to the right. Through the "kissing gate" and onwards for another 100m to the cairn at the summit and that is where the best bit of the route ends for me as I am useless at descending on rough terrain! I hit the top in 13:47 which isn't too bad and at that time I was probably in the top 10.

People started to pass me almost immediately the descent started (I think Mark Wheeler was the first to go past but my eyes were glued to the ground so I couldn't be sure). Its amazing how the surface appears to consist only of greasy rocks when descending at race pace and I had a few slides and near misses as I cursed my way down the hill. A loud shout of support from Callander resident and M75 veteran international Pete Cartwright, who was marshaling runners onto the final path off the hillside, was much appreciated. Then I hit the road. Normally I (try to) take off here but the next runner was easily 100m plus in front and much younger than me so I just cruised and didn't chase, also conscious of the hamstring strain that had troubled me since September and which I didn't need to injure again thumping down a steep hill. It was nice not to be thundering down that very steep road for a change. Unfortunately at the bottom of the tarmac road as we swept back into the woods and a gradual climb, a group of supporters including some of my former schoolmates were cheering on me wildly, so I felt obliged to put in another wee effort until I was out of sight and could relax again! Finally, there is a longish descent through the woods and there was George Stewart who had popped along on his way between work visits to support us and take some photos (and to ask me if I had got lost given how far behind the leaders I was!). Despite the easyish descent, my lungs were liquid at this point and I was beginning to think I should not have done this as I ran through the line, soon confirmed by a few hours of coughing. My finish time was 28:45 which it turns out was not my worst of recent years (my previous 2 runs had been 10 to 20 seconds slower) but then again, the times are totally dictated by the weather (and fitness). No ice today meant quite fast conditions. The race was won by Jethro Lennox of Shettleston in 23:27.

On his first ever Crags Race, Chris McCarron had a stormer of a run, particularly on the way down andhe tells me he was closing me down on the descent through the woods to the finish line, which Chris crossed in 28:55 as second junior. Unfortunately I only have times for those I am connected to on Garmin Connect, so although Joanne was next in and third lady, I don't have the time. Similarly for Geo (a big PB I remember him saying), Marion (first F60) and Kai (second U14 I think). Frances was in pre-ski holiday life and limb preservation mode (34:47 and second F50), Gordon set a big PB (35:03) as did Russell (39:21) and Sandy (39:28). Well done to all and thanks for embracing this challenging wee race so enthusiastically.

All George's photos are here (a wee bit blurry due to the darkness in the woods).
Alan