National Masters Cross Country Championships - Hawick

In the finest weather conditions I have ever seen in Hawick, the Scottish National Masters XC championships attracted veteran runners from all over Scotland for a truly challenging cross country test. My previous two experiences of Hawick were the National XC about 25 years ago and the Masters XC 5 years ago, both of which were run in blizzards, so the weather record was not a difficult one to beat. Once again, Teviotdale Harriers had set out a fantastic course in a farmer's fields and open hillside overlooking the town. Unfortunately we had only 3 Harriers entered and with Frances injured, only Chas and I were there to represent the club.

I arrived about two hours before the race and had plenty of time to collect my number and jog the kilometre or so uphill from the sports centre to the course to remind myself of the lap. Chas was already there and raring to go when I arrived.  The last time I was here there was zero visibility and horizontal sleet so it made  change to have clear blue skies and view over the surrounding Teviot hills capped with a dusting of snow. Although there was an icy breeze it was nothing compared to last week's gale force winds. However, the decision to do a lap of the course was sensible as this was a very undulating lap and pace judgement would be vital. Furthermore with the sun only glancing off the surface, the ground was largely frozen solid and fell shoes rather than spikes were the order of the day (I spoke to one of the Bellahouston Harriers after the race and one of his clubmates had worn spikes and was in agony with the spikes hammering through the sole of his shoe).

The start of the Ladies and M65+ 6km race

The ladies and men over 65 were off first on a 6km race, two slightly reduced laps. The first three were quite tight for the first lap but then Lesley Chisholm of Garscube pulled away for a convincing victory. Andy McLinden of Hamilton Harriers won the over 65 men's race by a large margin from Frank Hurley of Cambuslang. This race was notable for the reappearance of some great runners from the past 30 years who I had not seen running for a decade or more. Brian Kirkwood was one of the greats and used to win everything 15 to 20 years ago and today was 4th M65. Brian Emmerson of the local club, Teviotdale Harriers, is another great from 25 or so years ago and he medalled (bronze) in the M70 category, with Alex Sutherland from Inverness Harriers winning that category.

The open hillside awaits

Then it was time for the M40 to M60 race to be contested over 8km which would be two large laps of the course. It was actually quite nice having only the two laps to do rather than the usual 3 or 4 lap courses but on the other hand, its just as well there were only two laps as it was some lap! The race started uphill through a rock hard, field of stubble. After 150m we did a U turn through a gate into the next field and back down the hill to the bottom corner of the field from where we followed the perimeter of the field all the way around and back up for a long climb to the top corner. To get out of this field we had to run up a near vertical 5 foot bank into the next field, across a farm road and onto the open hillside where the route now looked like a hill race with a grassy surface underfoot. We headed across the open hill side to the furthest away point of the course, following the natural contours of a series of long banks or mounds which defined the hillside. The course dived down around the end of one of these ridges before doubling back below the next ridge and then another U turn around the end of that ridge into the next trough as we gradually zig zagged down the hill.

The first of 3 near vertical banks

We then started the long journey back towards the start area but the climbing was not over. Before entering the original series of fields we turned sharp left to face the first of a series of three 15 foot high banks which we hit one after the other. Fantastic! Then we turned right through a gate and into the fields and got a wee down hill respite before a final turn back up hill around the top field and a long descent past the start finish area to start another lap.

This would be my first serious individual race since my lung problem last October and I was a little worried as I know I can't hold myself back in a race. However, the legs rather than the lungs were the problem and I found myself dropped on the uphill start and being bashed and pushed on the charge to the first gate. By the time we were in the second field I had already lost 100m or so on the leaders and was staggering. I'm usually strong on the climbs but I was struggling on the way out of this second field. Once we were on the open hillside, the course levels a bit and I latched onto a train of runners charging along the indent in the ground left by a tractor wheel and which provided good grip. A few M50's slipped past here but not quickly. When we hit the trio of banks for the first time, a local M50 athlete charged past me, cheered on by local support. I thought he was making a suicidal effort and indeed, by the time we were over the third hump, I was able to cruise past again. By now I was starting to feel better and was passing people constantly on the way back to the end of the lap and had passed and dropped all those M50's who had gone by earlier in the lap. By now I had latched onto a Moorfoot Harriers M40 who seemed to be running strong. However, once again, on the open hillside, I was feeling good and was able to comfortably pass and pull away before we hit the mounds for the last time. By now, there was a huge gap to the next runner who I could see from the number on the back was an M40 or M45 so not a direct competitor. I was running fast now and was able to finish the lap and the race at speed. There were plenty of shouts of support to help me around that lap including many from SVHC and a good contingent from EKAC down to support Grant Baillie.

The uphill start!

Unlike last time in Hawick, the organisers had erected two large marquees for bags and changing which were nice and warm given the number of runners squeezed in and I was soon wrapped up in the leggings and club jacket and back out in time to see Chas finish. Before the race started, Chas and I were lamenting the lack of Harriers here and saying that this sort of Championship race that moves about year after year is what running for a club is all about. A different challenge every time; none of us with any real chance of winning but keeping the grass roots of the sport going. Indeed Chas said before the start that there was every chance he would finish last in this race but that did not matter and that is how it turned out. Chas was 167th and last after a duel to the end with the famous Robin Thomas of Hunters Bog Trotters but thoroughly enjoyed himself in the process. Well done Chas.

Chas running well
(photo Pete Bracegirdle)

The easy walk downhill to the sports centre was rewarded with a complementary tea/coffee, hot pie/sausage roll/chips. Great value indeed and just what was needed after a cold afternoon on the hillside. So efficient was the results service (Kilmarnock Harriers were doing the timing and results) that the prize giving was brought forward a half hour and the provisional results were on-line before I had even finished my pie. This revealed that Central AC's M45, Scott Brember, had beaten everyone, including all the M40's to become Scottish Masters Champion, covering the 8km course in 28:00, closely followed by M40's Graeme Murdoch of Gala Harriers and Jethro Lennox of Shettleston. The evergreen Charlie Thomson of Cambuslang had won the M50 race in 30:23 (22nd overall), followed by Stephen Allen of Motherwell (30:56) and Ross McEachern of Cumbernauld AAC in 31:23 and 33rd overall. My main achievement was to finish 57th wearing race number 57! I was 8th M50 in 33:16, so well off the pace but something to work on as I get back to fitness and full training. A great album of photos from Pete Bracegirdle are here.

Alan taking the racing line
(photo Pete Bracegirdle)

Alex Jackson, the Scottish Athletics cross country secretary, announced that next year it is the West District's turn to host the event and as Kilmarnock Harriers have hosted this event the last four times the West have been the hosts, ideally he is looking for another West District club to step up and take this on next year. Hopefully there are some volunteers as variety of courses is what makes this event a must do on my calendar.
Alan