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How is this great sport managing in locked-down 2020 Scotland?

Athletics: Banchory’s world mountain bronze medallist Robbie Simpson picks up first senior Scottish hill running title by Fraser Clyne, September 2020 (from the Aberdeen Press and Journal)

Robbie Simpson (Deeside Runners) picked up his first Scottish senior hill running title after an intriguing battle with Great Britain team-mate Andrew Douglas (Inverclyde AC) in the national championships at Comrie Croft and Fordie Estate, Perthshire.

The duo have picked up numerous awards on the international stage over recent years with Robbie Simpson earning bronze at the world mountain running championships, while Andrew Douglas is a two-time World Cup winner.

These overseas commitments meant they have missed the Scottish championships until now.

But with overseas travel opportunities – and races – currently in limited supply, they were more than happy to take part in the home-based competition.

It was Douglas’s second race since February and the Edinburgh-based Highlander set off at a brisk pace, building up a 30-second lead over Simpson at one point.

But on the final steep climb over the 12k course, Simpson sensed Douglas was beginning to fade and the Banchory man seized the opportunity to reel in his opponent before powering clear to secure what was ultimately a clear-cut victory.

Simpson, winner of the 26-mile Lairig Ghru mountain marathon a fortnight earlier, was obviously pleased with the outcome.

He said: “I didn’t think I was going to win as Andy was still well ahead at 10k. But he seemed to struggle on the long climb towards the finish and I was able to catch him then pull away.

“I’m happy with my run. It was fairly intense as I haven’t raced over such a short distance for so long.

“It was far too fast for me at the start so I throttled back and settled into second position for most of the way. But everything seemed to click at just the right time.”

Pete Duffy (Aberdeen AAC)

Excerpt from ‘Stud marks on the summits’ by Bill Smith (published 1985)

“Pete Duffy has run for Aberdeen for so many years that many people think he’s a Scotsman, but the facts are that he was born on 25/4/35 at Ashton-under-Lyne in Lancashire, and did in fact return to live in nearby Oldham. He is employed as a civil servant in HM Customs and Excise. Pete began to compete in Scottish hill races in 1960 but didn’t know about English fell races until he ran Rivington Pike in 1967. The following year, he entered the Three Peaks and thereafter travelled to events south of the border as often as he could afford to.

During the 1960s he achieved 8 consecutive runs over the old Ben Nevis Race course under 2 hours; won the 1961 Cairngorm Race in the fastest time ever: 1.10.04; had two victories in the Creag Dubh, breaking the record each time; three victories in the Mamore Hill Race; and won the Knockfarrel Hill Race four times, besides being runner-up three times and third once. His best time for Creag Dubh was 29.44: “It seemed a good time until the English lads started coming to the race.”

Duffy’s English debut at Rivington Pike earned him sixth position in 17.35: “Nothing fantastic about that, but I got a tremendous boost when, at the tower, I suddenly realised that I had reached the top with Ron Hill.” Hill had won the previous two Pike races and finished second that year. Pete came 12^th in his Three Peaks debut in 1968, 13^th in 1969, 10^th 1970 and 9^th 1972. In 1975 he had just turned 40 but didn’t qualify for the veteran’s prize, despite being first M40 in 23^rd position, as the rule applied only to those competitors who had turned 40 before January 1^st. A month later, he won the Chevy Chase in 2.16.30: “I was surprised and very pleased to be overall winner of a long ‘A’ event when over 40.” Duffy has since won many veteran prizes, however, and in 1981 finished 17^th in the veterans’ fell championship. During the 1970s, he had gained 11^th position in the 1972 open championship, joint 31^st in 1974 and 28^th in 1975. Pete was one of the 10-man Aberdeen team that set the John o’Groats to Land’s End record in 1973.

Pete Duffy has found it impossible to maintain a rigid training schedule, due to the pressures of family and work, but has run daily since 1959, except when seriously injured or ill. However, he has always believed in a mixed training system, comprising a long Sunday run of over two hours duration, repetition hill runs, repetition speed work on the flat and as many steadily-paced runs as possible during the week. He has had two operations to eliminate persistent injuries. Between 1970 and 1976, he suffered from what he believed to be Achilles tendon trouble, but it was finally found to be caused by a cist on the right Achilles bursa, which was removed by Dr Williams at Farnham Park. This same surgeon also performed a successful operation on Pete’s kneecap to cure knee trouble, which had previously been diagnosed by his GP and local hospital as arthritis.”

“Who’s Who” profile on Scottish Distance Running History website

 Peter Duffy (Aberdeen AAC, Motherwell YMCA)

Six Miles: 31:16.8 1966; Ten Miles: 53:31.0 1969; Ten Miles Road: 51.27 1968;   Marathon:  2:32.52 1969.

Peter Duffy is a unique character, tough and cheerfully irrepressible, who ran for Aberdeen AAC (until 1965) and Motherwell YMCA (from 1966). With Aberdeen, he won two team silver medals (1964 and 1965) in the Scottish Senior National XC – and finished 22nd both times. In the Edinburgh to Glasgow Road Relay he secured two bronze medals – in 1963 with Aberdeen and and 1966 with Motherwell; and another silver back with Aberdeen in 1972.  He trained with and learned from the best: after training and racing with Alastair Wood, Steve Taylor and Don Ritchie at Aberdeen, he went on to run with John Graham (who remembers him fondly) at Motherwell) and Fraser Clyne. Peter won an SAAA silver medal for the Track Ten Miles in 1966 and Marathon bronze in 1969. For 55 years he was a keen hill runner: on Ben Nevis, 8 consecutive times under 2 hours between 1962 and 1969, twice 8th finisher, with a best time 1.51.01 (twice first to the top but his descending was less skilful). Peter was 9th in the 1972 Three Peaks and won the Cairngorm race in 1961, taking ten minutes off the record. For many years he tackled the World Mountain Veteran championships, and completed every race from the inaugural event in 2001 until he was 79 years old in 2014 – unfortunately 80-year-olds are not allowed to take part, even if they carry full-length bad-weather gear, due to fears about severe danger to their health.

This decision (to ban over-80s) was taken after a particularly gruelling event: the World Mountain Veteran championship in Korbielow, Poland. The uphill-only route started at an altitude of 1000 feet and finished at 4000 feet. On the start line, extremely heavy rain started to fall and continued for several hours. Pete was aged 75 at the time but, unlike some others, who were dressed only in vest and shorts, he had rubbed olive oil into his legs to keep them warmer, and had taken a bum-bag which held a lightweight anorak – this he put on not long after the race commenced. It took Pete 1 hour 35 minutes to reach the hilltop finish. Then it was announced, to general dismay, that, since the cable car was not working, runners would have to return to the start hotel by foot. Two exhausting hours later, Pete struggled into the hotel and it took 30 minutes in a hot shower before heat began to return to his hypothermic body. Many others had collapsed and were retrieved by ambulance. It was very fortunate that no one died. Pete says that he had absolutely no desire to repeat that experience!

In October 2020, now aged 85, Pete Duffy phoned to discuss his hill-racing career, which lasted until 2014. He never kept a detailed training and racing diary, like Don Ritchie’s. However, he did keep a one-line note of each race he ran: date, event, distance, result. Pete reckons that he tackled 719 hill races, including several one-mile ‘sprints’, when these short steep challenges were temporarily fashionable. The longest hill events could be 50 km in distance.

Pete’s records indicate that, from these 719 hill races, he won 12 outright and had 172 veteran victories between M40 and M75. Added to those results were 145 second places and 95 when he finished third. He turned 40 in 1975, but for the next three or four years, although he was often first in that age-group, there was usually no prize available….

The Ilkley Incline Fell Race, as one can find out online, is a one mile uphill event, starting on tarmac and finishing on a path. Pete Duffy finished first M70 four times – in 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2009. The photo below, with Pete wearing number 8 and representing Northern Vets, shows how steep the race is!

                                                                                                                            Photo by Paul Wood

Pete raced abroad as frequently as his work allowed: probably 63 events, mainly after he retired at the age of 60. One memory dates from 1956, when he was on National Service – in Egypt, during the Suez Canal crisis. While they were waiting to be sent home, a cross country race was organised. Many ‘volunteers’ were dragooned into participating. Despite losing time while struggling to swim across the canal, Pete managed to finish second to a notable Yorkshire runner called Sykes.

Peter Duffy lived in Aberdeen between 1960 and 1966; then in Wishaw until 1980. Pete’s first hill races were Ben Nevis in 1960; then the Mamore Hill Race and Knockfarrel in 1961. He ran Ben Lomond ten times.

Pete reckons that he has run/raced in 31 countries and emphasises that no one apart from himself ever paid his expenses!

What were the worst aspects of hill-running, in Pete’s opinion? While descending grassy slopes was not a problem, he absolutely hated rocky downhills. In fact, the notorious descent of Ben Nevis seemed quite reasonable, compared to the likes of Goatfell on Arran, which features very dangerous boulders. In cold, wet, windy weather, especially during a longer race, exposure can be a real worry: he remembers several hill-runners who have died because, especially if you have to stop running, your temperature can plunge rapidly. A bum-bag with rain-proof garments is an absolute necessity.

Yet there is no doubt that Pete Duffy really loved hlll racing. It was not so much a sport for him, more a way of life. The scenery? Well, if you had to walk on steep uphills, you might glance about. Certainly, due to the mist, he never saw views from the top of Ben Nevis! His real intention was to run up and down as fast as he possibly could and to have a sense of achievement, no matter where he finished.

Foreign hill races, particularly in France, seemed to be organised as an excuse to have a banquet and plenty of wine afterwards. Peter remembers how very pleasant and sociable organisers and other runners were.  During racing on a particularly hot evening, he recalls passing several blazing festive bonfires en route, so it was a relief to rehydrate with cool liquids afterwards.

After the 1970 Pendle Fell Race, many runners relaxed in a pub. Someone suggested organising a Fell Runners Association; and Pete joined as Member Number 8. He only retired from running when his body just would not let him take part any more; and is very glad that he kept going so long.

Pete admires the hill-racing exploits of a Scot slightly older than him: Bill Gauld of Carnethy Hill Runners.

Bill is a Life Member and here is what the club website says about him.

Bill Gauld is an institution and it is hard to imagine the club without him, as he has been an active member of the club since, almost, its earliest days.

Bill is also an athlete of the highest calibre and amongst his achievements are victory in two World Championships – the Over 65s in 2001 and the Over 70s in 2003 (as well as a World Over 65 silver medal in 2002 at the age of 69!).

He is a 3-times British Over 50 Fell Running Champion and two times Scottish Over 50 Hill Running Champion.

Other notable achievements include, at the age of 57, winning the Edinburgh Seven Hills Race outright and running a sub 4 hour Jura at age of 59 – 3 hrs 51 mins to be precise!).

He served on the club committee for ten years as Newsletter Editor, and the quality and quantity of these publications was amazing – every year he produced 6 large, informative newsletters.

                                                                               Bill, aged 81 receiving the M70 prize for the Seven Hills of Edinburgh race

A short look at Scottish hill running in the 21st century can be found  here

.SONIA ARMITAGE

Sonia has been a very classy athlete for many years, having run for Scotland as a senior: in the World Cross-Country Championships; five times in the World Hill Running Trophy; and three times in the European Hill Running Trophy. In 1996, Sonia won the Scottish Hill Running title. She has been a World Masters Champion in Mountain Running and both Outdoor and Indoor track.

“I have had many good runs in the Scottish Senior Hill Running Team, running in both World Trophy and European Trophy races; including finishing 13th in the European Trophy at Snowdon, and 3rd team at the World Trophy in Malaysia in 1999. It was very exciting finishing 24th in the World Trophy race when it took place at Arthur’s Seat in Edinburgh in 1995 in front of an enthusiastic home crowd. Another memorable run for me was the International Snowdon Race in 1998, which was my first international race back, following suffering a pulmonary embolism in February 1997; I finished second in my fastest time ever, in 1.22. Lastly, but not least, one very special run has to be winning the W40 race in the World Masters Mountain Running Championships in Poland, in 2001.

 My best ever Masters performances, I would have to share between three. Firstly, winning the W40 race in the World Mountain Running Championships in 2001, as I mentioned above. Secondly, my W45 1500m gold medal at the World Masters Indoor Track and Field Championships in Clermont Ferrand, France, in 2008. Thirdly, W45 gold in both the 800m and 1500m at the World Masters Indoor Track and Field Championships in Kamloops, Canada, in 2010.”

SUE RIDLEY

“I love running.   I have been lucky enough to have competed all over the world (often accompanied by my family) and met some terrific people many of whom are now great friends.   Nothing beats going out for a run in the countryside, whatever the weather!   I have also had the honour of: carrying the Scottish flag at the World Mountain Running Championships in Sauze d’Oulx in 2004; and of reading the Athletes’ Oath at the Opening Ceremony of the European Masters Mountain Running Championships in Nowa Ruda in 2014.”

(Sue Ridley has represented Scotland on the track, in the country, on the road, and also in the hills! She ran the European and World Mountain Running Trophy championships several times. Sue won the W35 European Masters 10k road title in Portugal and then finished second in the Half Marathon. She was also victorious in the 2009 W40 European Masters cross country championship in Ancona.
Naturally, umpteen Scottish Masters wins have been secured. The British and Irish Masters XC has been a special favourite, which Sue has run successfully on many occasions, including individual W35 gold at Croydon in 2004.)

Sue Ridley wrote:

I’m probably not recognised as a “hill runner”.   Due to family and work commitments, I was never able to compete in the Scottish and British Hill Running Championships series, but I do love hill running so I raced whenever I could.

                                                                                                                                     Gypsy Glen

One race I have enjoyed for over 30 years is the Gypsy Glen Hill Race in Peebles.   It began as a 5-mile hill race organised by Mike Pearson as part of the local health week.   It attracted around 25 runners, but has evolved into a popular fixture on the SHR calendar, attracting over 75 runners from all around.   In the early days, the race began on the road in the centre of town and headed out for about 1 ¼ miles, before reaching the steep grassy climbs of Gypsy Glen.  After negotiating a couple of gates, you veered off onto a narrow stony track which meanders its way through the heather up the steep climb to the cairn.   You continued down a grassy track on the other side and could let yourself go down the grassy trail which skirted round the side of the hill before joining the original route.   A steep grassy descent and bridge crossing led to a short, steep climb, before the route returning to the road.   The last 1 ½ miles was all road with a short killer climb about 1 mile from home, half a mile descent and the last ½ mile slightly undulating.   This mix of terrain really tested your legs!   Following police restrictions and costs, the course has altered over the years and now begins with a 1km loop around Victoria Park, resulting in a much faster start and ends in the Park too, which is much kinder to my “old legs”!

                                                                                                                  Up and Down 2009

Racing in Sauze D’Oulx in 2004 holds dear memories.   My family and I were there for the World Masters Mountain Running Championships.   It was a beautiful place sited higher than Ben Nevis and the first time I’d experienced that altitude.   Going for a jog sent my heart racing!   On a hot, sunny, cloudless day, the 8.5km course wound its way up the ski slopes of the Piemonte Mountains, climbing 862m through grassy fields and forest trails.   It took me a while to get going, probably due to the very hot conditions and the altitude but, as the race progressed, I felt stronger and stronger.   Approaching the finish hearing shouts of “Come on, Mum!”; “Come on, Susan!” and “Come on Scotland!” made this race a truly memorable experience as did the bronze medal I won in the W35 age group.

                                                                                                                 World Trophy 2008                     

We returned home for my eldest daughter’s birthday (and party).   A couple of days later I was flying back out to Sauze D’Oulx with my great friend Sonia Armitage, her husband Dave (both team managers) and some of my Scottish team-mates for the World Mountain Running Trophy.   There, I was given the honour of carrying the Scottish flag at the Opening Ceremony and I remember feeling immensely proud.   Tackling the same course in very similar conditions, I felt so much stronger and completed the course over 3 ½ minutes quicker than the previous week to finish 27^th overall and 2^nd Scot behind Tracey Brindley (who I discovered loves Nutella!).  As our 4^th team member hadn’t arrived, Sonia Armitage, in addition to her team manager duties, ably stepped in to complete our team.

Brief reflections on Hill running

To sum up:

GREAT PEOPLE

CRACKING COURSES

STUNNING SCENERY

And don’t forget the FUN SOCIAL SIDE!

Scotland has been very fortunate in the quality of our hill runners – the women no less than the men.   There are several more covered here if you would like to just click on       Helene, Tricia, Tracey, Lyn and follow the careers of four more extremely talented hill runners.

Angie Mudge running in the Whangie WhizChris Upson Photo

EXTRACT FROM AN ARTICLE ABOUT ANGELA MUDGE by Doug Gillon (with comments by Brian McAusland)

Doug Gillon is a superb journalist who passes on a lot of information in every piece he writes but mixes it in with illuminating comment and a degree of insight which is all too often missing from our sports pages.  In an article in ‘The Herald’ of Friday, 23rd September 2005 he wrote an excellent article about one of our greatest endurance athletes – Angela Mudge – which I will reproduce in its entirety here.    He wrote:

A mountain to climb?   Mudge now at her peak.   Leading endurance athlete tells Doug Gillon she is now ready for the ultimate challenge.

In some sports Angela Mudge would travel business class with a retinue of managers and medics, living in five-star luxury, her future assured by whacking endorsement income and prize money.   Her recent winnings were a Swiss cheese and a voucher for a bunch of flowers.   She declined.   Vases, when you live in a tent, are excess baggage.

Hill-running is an under-estimated discipline.   As befits its rigours, competitors take life and hazards in their stride.   Mudge has spent two months during the past year on crutches after radical surgery to correct a serious knee problem that already had her considering alternative sports.   “I’d worn away all my knee cartilage – more to do with my running style than with the sport itself,” she said.   “I was running on the bare bone of my femur, so the surgeon drilled a lot of holes, which stimulates scar tissue and I could run again.   My knee was more painful afterwards than before, I

was prepared for that, but was allowed to run for only 10 minutes even months after the operation.   I deliberately did not ask about the success or failure rate in order to keep a positive frame of mind.   It was only six months later that a physiotherapist told me that there were lots of people for whom the operation did not work.   Taking rehab slowly has been the key to success, although I had plantar fasciitis which put me out of action again from the end of May to the beginning of July this year.”   Since then she has recovered dramatically training for five weeks and racing four times in Switzerland.

“I won three races and was second in the Swiss Championships on the Matterhorn.   There was a raclette cheese for winning one race and a 50 franc voucher from a flower shop for another which I gave back.   There was nothing for the third but it’s not about the prizes.”   Mudge reckons she is short of the form required to reclaim the individual crown at the world mountain running trophy, but still believes the Scottish women’s team can be on the podium.   In her final race before her departure for Wellington, where she leads the Scots on Mount Victoria, Mudge won the world masters title in the Lake District by nearly three and a half minutes.   “It was the first time I’d raced downhill since the operation,” said the 35 year old Carnethy runner.

In the 2000 World Mountain Running Championships, Mudge won the world title, while in 2003 she won silver and led the Scottish team to gold in the only athletics discipline in which Scotland now competes at world level.

Overtaking on some descents can be more hazardous than on a Formula One racetrack.   Mudge is a former winner of the world climbathon on Mount Kinabalu in Borneo where there were sheer drops.   She had to sign a disclaimer absolving organisers from liability.   Little wonder.   This was the mountain on which ten British squaddies got lost for several weeks yet it was all in the day’s run to Mudge.   She has raced in New Zealand before having speent six months there with a boyfriend.   Laureus tried to tempt her home when she was short listed for the world extreme sportswoman of the year title but she declined the all-expenses trip.

The only other British nominees were in other categories.   Steve Redgrave, David Beckham, Jonathan Edwards and Lennox Lewis among 75 luminaries boasting 316 Olympic and World titles at a glittering gala dinner in London’s Albert Hall.   Mudge preferred a meal cooked in the open “and camping in a tent high up in the Southern Alps”.   She added that she did not possess a little black dress and would only have wandered around collecting autographs.

A Stirling University chemistry graduate with a PhD and MSc, she worked temporarily as a research assistant with a recycling agency for six months over the winter while in rehab but quit for the competitive season.   She cycled and camped the length of Switzerland to cut costs.   “Sometimes I meet up with other runners and I’m happy to join them but I am just as happy to do everything myself, preparing meals on my little gas cooker.”

Mudge overcame being born with her feet facing the wrong way and the boredom of track running as a teenager – she has never done it since – to become Britain’s greatest hill racer.   She has collected the UK cross-country title and contested the world championships in that discipline along the way, but the hills are where her heart lies.

“I did not go out too early to New Zealand,” adds Mudge, “because it would be just another week with disturbed sleep.   I don’t do time change well.   I like to see the course, but too much of it beforehand is not good for me.   If you’re having a bad run, you know what is coming up.”

Whatever the outcome, there is no end in sight.   “I can’t see myself doing World and European championships for many years more”, she says, “but I’ve missed a lot of races through doing championships.   I’ll continue until my body falls apart.   With any luck I’ll still be doing women’s 65+ races in 30 years.”

That’s the end of Doug’s article and she did indeed run in the World Mountain Running Championships that year – and won the W35 age group race while finishing 20th overall.

 Angela Mudge (Carnethy HRC and Scotland) won the Snowdon Mountain International in 1998 and 2000. Between 1999 and 2000, she ran three times for Scotland on cross country.

When researching this article we were advised to look at the Wikipedia article on Angela Mudge – and it was all there!   Her entire career up to and including 2008 when she won the Ben Nevis race and the Sky Race in Switzerland with three seconds in Switzerland, Italy and the WMRA Championships.   They have done a very good job and those interested in Angela Mudge as an outstanding hill-runner should look it up at:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angela_Mudge

That will give the whole story of the wonderful career of Angela Mudge, who has now been inducted into the Scottish Athletics Hall of Fame. 

But Angie is only one – albeit arguably the most successful – of the many women of all ages and standards running in the hills.   No, some run but most of them race in the hills.   Racing against opponents, racing against the stopwatch.   They are unified by their love of travelling and running in the wonderful Scottish Highlands.   You only have to look at some of the venues – eg Torridon, the Ben at one extreme, the challenging Bens of Jura and the rest to understand that feeling of being at one with the country.  Two of her contemporaries on the hills are Sonia Armitage and Sue Ridley.

Phil Dolan Leading Doug Gunstone in the Saltcoats Road Race

EXTRACTS FROM A PROFILE OF PHIL DOLAN by Brian McAusland

Phil Dolan was also among the most versatile endurance runners and ran with distinction on the track (where he ran for Scotland), on the country (where he raced in two World Championships and competed for several small Scottish teams on the Continent) as well as on the roads and over the hills where he set numerous course records.

All Clydesdale Harriers run on the hills at some point and Phil was no exception.   The club has produced hill runners who have smashed records all over Scotland: Bobby Shields, Ian Donald, Brian Potts, Ian Murphy and more recently John Kennedy in very long hill races like the Lairig Ghru and Prasad Prasad in the shorter ones such as the Callander Crags and Ben Sheann.   Phil ran all distances.   He ran the short Neilston Pad race three times and won it.   He also ran in the medium distance Carnethy Hill race where he ran it once finishing second to Martin Weeks of Bingley Harriers.  

His favourite however must have been the really gruelling Mamore Hill race at Kinlochleven.    The trail went from the Island Park in the village round to the start of the Lairig Mhor, now part of the West Highland Way, over part of the Lairig and then up to the 2500 feet shoulder of A’Cailleach before plunging down to the road and then racing seven miles on the road back to the park.   Many of the very best in Britain had run this one including Alastair Wood from Aberdeen who set a course record. Phil not only set a record for the course but then broke his own record the following year with a time of 1:37:23.   And that was for fourteen miles including almost 3000 feet of ascent.   (As a side note to this, he helped me win a trophy for a race I never ran.   Having raced the event several times I was down to compete as part of a four man club team.   I failed to turn up because of illness but with only three to count the club won and was presented with four plaques.   I got my plaque the following Tuesday at Whitecrook!)   These races at Kinlochleven must rank among Phil’s best ever runs and had hill running had the profile it has at present he would surely have added to the national vests won for track and cross country.   The Mamore was not the only one he ran but was the one in which he placed himself firmly in the ranks of superb hill runners.

Phil also ran the much shorter Cathkin Braes Hill Race in 1975 in 24:06 from Alan Partridge of East Kilbride AAC who was timed at 24:11 avenging his second place to the same athlete of a year earlier.   He also ran the race in 1977 as part of his preparation for the Boston Marathon.    The furthest he travelled for a hill race was to the Isle of Man in 1970 when he ran the Peel Hill race defeating the Olympic silver medallist and world class steeplechaser Maurice Herriott from Birmingham who was the pre-race favourite.   In fact, the officials were so confident that Herriott would win it that they stood there, not realising Phil had been to the top and back, until he handed them the card given to all athletes at the top!   Herriott knew better and told Phil that he had figured him as his main rival when he saw him warming up.   At the same meeting which lasts for several days, Phil won the 1500 metres Island Championship and was victorious over the reigning champion in the 800 metres.    Quite a week’s work.

Any review of Phil’s career must come to the conclusion that he was one of the best all round endurance athletes that Clydesdale Harriers has ever produced.   His top performances stand comparison with any of the Scottish athletes of his generation and he had victories over several of the domestic ‘greats’ at that time.   What were his best performances?   On the country he had his international vests; on the roads his marathon in Boston where he defeated many of the world’s top competitors in temperatures seldom experienced in Scotland; on the hills, the two Mamore victories must be a source of great pride to him; and finally, using his talents and gifts for running to raise money for those less fortunate was well recognised by those outside the sport.   Phil was a great credit to his family, to the club, to the sport and mainly to himself. 

EXTRACTS from a profile of COLIN DONNELLY by Brian McAusland

Colin Donnelly was born in 1959 and has excelled in two branches of long-distance athletics: cross-country and, especially, hill running. An internet debate about who is Britain’s best-ever fell-runner comments: “Colin Donnelly had (and still has) the speed and endurance to set even more records. He has more or less soloed every long-distance challenge there is, without support or route advice. If he was better organised, he could have achieved more than anyone else. Perhaps that is the way the great man likes things to be: out there on his own, doing things his own way”.

He burst onto the hill-running scene with victory in the Ben Nevis Race in 1979 – the youngest man to win this famous event. He won it again in 1986; and lost to Gary Devine by only five seconds in 1988. In the interim Colin Donnelly had dominated fell-running, especially near his home in Wales, where he set many records, some of which have never been beaten, for example the Welsh 3000s (26 miles from the top of Snowdon to Foel Fras, including some 13,000 feet of ascent and fourteen summits). In 1988, when he was a local Eryri Harrier, Colin’s time was an astounding four hours 19 minutes.

Colin Donnelly’s hill race victories are countless, but include the Snowdon Race, Cader Idris (6 wins), Buckden Pike, Shelf Moor, Carnethy, Kentmere Horseshoe and the Manx Mountain Marathon (31.5 miles, 8000m ascent).

Colin Donnelly was British Fell-Running Champion three times in the late 1980s. In the WMRA World Mountain Running Trophy, he represented Scotland in eighteen successive races between 1985 and 2002 (plus another one in 2004): an almost unbelievable record. Colin’s greatest run, which displayed exceptional descending skills, secured a silver medal in the 1989 men’s individual short race at Chatillon-en-Diois, France. In addition, he was in the Scottish team (Tommy Murray, Bobby Quinn, Colin Donnelly and Graeme Bartlett) that won silver medals in 1995 (Arthur’s Seat, Edinburgh).

On the 22^nd of September 2001, in Ustron, Poland, Colin Donnelly won the M40 Masters World Mountain Running Championship by the enormous margin of 91 seconds. In 2002 (Innsbruck, Austria) he was third; and in 2005 (Keswick, England) second M45 to Dave Neill of England. Colin Donnelly shows no sign of retiring or even slowing down much.

JACK MAITLAND: FELL RUNNER AND VERSATILE ATHLETE

The British Triathlon website describes Jack as “A rather quiet and modest man, Jack’s affable mien defies his lifetime commitment to winning. He competed at world-class level in a handful of some of the toughest sports: in orienteering, fell running, triathlon and duathlon, winning a range of national and international events. He represented Great Britain many times in various World and European Championships and was the top performing Scottish athlete in the demonstration triathlon at the Commonwealth Games in Auckland in 1990. Over the past decade, he has been identifying and coaching talented young triathletes and building a performance centre around them to suit their individual needs. Until recently he was working from the Triathlon High Performance Centre at Leeds Metropolitan University, where he moulded his athletes into World and European champions. He created a culture of ongoing success and played a colossal role over the last 10 years in coaching Alastair and Jonathan Brownlee to be Olympic gold and bronze medallists and World Champions.”

For the magazine “Fellrunner”, Steve Chilton interviewed Jack Maitland at Leeds. Here is an abbreviated version of an illuminating article:

“He was also previously an outstanding fell runner, having won the British Fell Champs back in 1986. I was there to interview him as he was a contemporary of, and fierce rival of, Kenny Stuart and John Wild. He had just started running the fells in the incredible 1983 fellrunning championships season, when Stuart and Wild went head-to-head over the full season of 15 races. As he progressed over the next couple of years, he became perhaps their chief rival, and eventually succeeded Kenny Stuart as British Champion in the 1986 season. As he progressed over the next couple of years, he became perhaps their chief rival, and eventually succeeded Kenny Stuart as British Champion in the 1986 season.

I sat opposite him, watching his craggy face break into frequent laughs as he recalled incidents from his career. He had brought along his own training diaries for the mid-eighties, which proved really useful when we started looking back at races in which he had raced Stuart and Wild in that period.

Maitland was born in Aboyne in Aberdeenshire in 1962, and attended Aberdeen University to study Computer Science in 1978-82. He took a year out working at making orienteering maps, by hand as this was before the advent of computer cartography. It allowed him to train for his sport, basically. He went and trained in Norway, then moved to Leeds to do a postgraduate course in teacher training. He made the British Junior and Senior Orienteering squad, so orienteering was his main sport initially.

When he went to University, he joined the swimming club, the volleyball club and the running club. But, really, he only did running and orienteering. Meeting Colin Donnelly at the university was something of a catalyst for doing more fell running.

He recalls, ‘I had done some hill races in the area of Scotland I come from as a kid, like at the Highland Games for instance. I started running to support my orienteering really. I had one slight skirmish with the professional running scene. The pros didn’t like it if you went and raced against them. Once I started doing amateur races, I got the message that I wasn’t welcome in the pro scene anymore.’

Maitland is often touted as one of the best descenders on the fell scene. However, he played down his own ability somewhat. ‘I think when I first started going on the continent for mountain races, I was bringing my British skills where it was suddenly better than those that were already racing. I wasn’t the best descender in British running. At the time Kenny and John were at their peak I was racing for third place. Maybe I was a better descender than the other challengers like Sean Livesey and Dave Cartridge.’

I asked Jack to analyse his own ability over different courses. He chuckled, ‘I liked to race. In fact, I did a fantastic amount of racing. In 1984 I did 107 races, 38 orienteering, 27 fell and a mixture of road and triathlon, with 26 wins. I ran 22 miles short of 4,000 miles that year.’

Jack continued, ‘in 1983 I had done a bit less but did do three marathons, and was still really an orienteer at heart. I enjoyed all distances. I think I probably liked up and down races rather than the horseshoes. It didn’t matter really. I liked a Blisco or a Ben Lomond.’

‘Then I came back to Europe in March and raced the fell and mountain running season [and won the British Fell Champs]. I didn’t do any triathlon until the end of the season. I did the Annecy-Le Semnoz mountain race (coming 7th) and they said there is a triathlon next week why not stay and do that. I said I haven’t got a bike and so they lent me one!’ That was the Annecy Triathlon on 31st August, in which he came second.

                               Jack (wearing an Aberdeen AAC vest) at the 1985 Carnethy Hill Race. He finished second behind record-breaker Kenny Stuart

                                                                                                                 (Photo by Graham MacIndoe)

After that he did a mix of fell and triathlon races for a few years. At the end of 1989 he did the World Mountain Champs and came 10th in an uphill only race. ‘I think I knew I wasn’t going to win a medal and that I had reached my limit.

The Commonwealth Games was including triathlon in 1990 and I knew I could get in the Scotland team. I did, and having done that I thought I would see if I could get in the British triathlon squad. Fell running had seemed a solo thing really and I enjoyed the team aspect of orienteering and triathlon.’

Being a fellow-vegetarian, I wondered what had prompted Maitland and whether it affected his sport in any way. He replied, ‘I became vegetarian when I was orienteering and have had no issues around protein intake for instance. I had a few health issues from overtraining and got a bit anaemic, but who knows really. A lot of the top Norwegians were veggies and we went on an Eastern Europe trip and the food was horrible so we tried a veggie diet. Me being stubborn, I carried on!’

Jack Maitland certainly left his mark on fell running before moving on to triathlon and then coaching. He still has the course records for Pendle from 1984 and Blisco from 1987. His take was that he thought, ‘that the Pendle course may have changed, I find it hard to believe otherwise, but don’t think Blisco has.’

He was involved in club athletics for a while. ‘I moved to Leeds and joined Pudsey and Bramley. People like Gary Devine were probably the main driving force at the time. I would hang out with them and also some of the Bingley guys.’

Jack feels that the highlight of his fell career was probably winning the British Championship. In mountain racing it would be winning Mount Cameroon and the Everest marathon (both in 1989).

‘You remember the wins, don’t you? I won Burnsall but never won the Ben, Snowdon or the Three Peaks. I had a lot of seconds! I came against some very classy athletes in that era. I think I got the most I could out of myself, for instance in that Snowdon race.’

(Jack Maitland set his best marathon time (2.23.27) in 1983. He actually raced the Scottish Senior National XC in 1985. In a respectable 34^th place, he was fourth Aberdeen AAC counter (behind Graham Laing, Colin Youngson and Fraser Clyne (who for once had a bad one) but in front of Scottish Marathon Internationals Peter Wilson and Graham Milne. The team finished fourth.)

So, what is life like for Jack Maitland these days? He obviously gives a lot of time to his triathletes. He revealed that he does a lot of yoga now. ‘I ride my bike with my athletes once a week, but just with the women now! I follow the fell scene a bit, and I still get The Fellrunner.’

Steve Chilton is author of ‘The Round: in Bob Graham’s footsteps’ https://itsahill.wordpress.com/ 1989)

For Scotland in the World Mountain Running Trophy Long Course event, Jack took part seven times between 1985 and 1992, finishing first Scot in five of those. His best finishing position was 10^th; and the team was 4^th in 1988.

Jack also ran the World Short Course event three times in succession (1985-1987). He finished first Scot twice, with 11^th place in both 86 and 87.)

EXTRACTS FROM A PROFILE OF PENNY ROTHER by Brian McAusland

“I was racing on the roads, cross country and track….nothing very outstanding but I was representing Scotland on road and country. At this time I also started hill running (cross country was rather tame and more like cross playing field)

I loved training and racing in the hills and represented Scotland in 4 Hill running World Cups (1988 Keswick, 1991 Zermatt, 1993 Gap and Telfes in 1996). In 1988, the Scottish Team (Tricia Calder, Joyce Salvona, Barbara Murray and me) won Team Bronze medals in the World Mountain Running Championships.

This was a full house – I had represented Scotland on the track-once in 1976, Cross country worlds 1988, hill running world cup 1988 and a number of internationals on the roads between 1985 and 1988.

 (In the World Mountain Running Championships, Penny Rother was 11th and second Scot in Keswick; 34th and third Scot in Zermatt; in Gap (France) she was 42nd and third Scot; and in Telfes 48th and third Scot.  Marvellous running by any standards.) 

EXTRACTS FROM A PROFILE OF ROBERT QUINN by Brian McAusland

“With all the success he has had why did Robert add in hill and mountain running?   He reckons that he was always a good climber and being light with a good strength to weight ratio so he was suited to it in a way that many cross-country runners are not.   It was also a good way to re-invigorate his running career and extend international running well into his thirties.   Spending summers racing over the most beautiful mountains in Europe and beyond he describes as ‘great’ – and who would disagree?      His record is fantastic.   Look at the international results in the table below.   For full details you can go to the World Mountain Running Association Website at www.wmra The World Championships tend to be held in September. the Europeans in July and the Commonwealths have only been held once – in September 2009.  

There is also a Grand Prix for Mountain Running – see the link above – which involves races all over the Continent including major championships.   Robert actually won one of the major Grand Prix events in 1999 at Lenzerhide.   His overall world ranking in 1999 was third, in 2000 fifth, and in 2001 he was ninth.”

EXTRACT FROM A PROFILE OF TOMMY MURRAY by Brian McAusland 

“Since he did not consider his long loping stride with a high kick to be suitable for success in marathons, Tommy waited until 1995 to consider training for one. He was invited to an established race in Eindhoven, Holland, and ‘set about changing my training regime dramatically, with the weekly mileage rising from 60 mpw to 100.’ However, the invitation fell through since the organisers obtained a cheap deal on some Kenyan runners. ‘With no marathon to run and feeling as fit as a butcher’s dog, I started to look for another race to do.’   Doug Gillon, of the Glasgow Herald asked if Tommy would be interested in taking part in the World Mountain Running Championship which for the first time ever was to be held in Edinburgh round Arthur’s Seat. 

Tommy easily won the Scottish trial race at Dreghorn, beating amongst others ‘my pal Bobby Quinn, an established athlete on the mountain racing circuit.’    When the World Championship started, England’s Martin Jones went right to the front, at too fast a pace to maintain for 7.5 miles. By two miles, Tommy was in the lead and working hard, forcing himself up and down Arthur’s Seat several times.  Unfortunately, Fregonzi of Italy caught up and raced down the final descent  ‘like a kamikaze pilot on a mission.’ Tommy started to gain on him once they reached level ground but the finish came too soon. However, Tommy was more than happy to win two silver medals at a world championship – both individual and team.  Italy won, with Scotland second and the auld enemy England third. After this fine result, Tommy obtained lottery funding for the next four years ‘which I saw as just reward for the years I had given athletics.’  He ran three more World Mountain Running Championships in Austria, the Czech Republic and Borneo in Malaysia, but never ran quite as well as he had in Edinburgh.”

Hill running is possibly the most equal opportunities sport on the calendar.   There have been times when women’s side of the sport has been more successful than the men’s.   Names like Angie Mudge, Christine Menhennet, Helen Diamantides and many others have been really wonderful adverts for the sport.   Maybe time to look at some of them!   Angie Mudge next.

Meldrum Barclay Edwards M.B.E (1943-2019) ran mainly for Aberdeen AAC, won the Scottish Junior National XC, represented Scotland in the International Cross-Country Championships, won the 1988 M45 Scottish Veterans Cross-Country title, and became a local legend in his home city, due to endless enthusiasm for running and cheerful support of so many athletes and charities.

After a great deal of success (on track and road as well as country), due to over-training, he became chronically injured after coming close to making the GB marathon team for the 1968 Olympics. Four years later a physio succeeded in making Mel flexible enough to start racing again – this time as a hill runner.

Here are some extracts from his hill career highlights.

“I found that some hill races were so compulsive that I went back to them year after year: namely Cairngorm, Achmony at Drumnadrochit, the Three Peaks, Ben Lomond and Carnethy. There was something perpetually reassuring to know that a year later you could arrive at a venue at say 12 noon, and the same officials and the same runners would be there.

In 1975 I won my first Fell race, Knockfarrel, and took second place in Cairngorm, Lomonds of Fife and Achmony. The following year was full of interesting experiences and saw me travelling further afield to sample new hills, taking 8^th at Carnethy (in those days it started and finished in the town park) and 82^nd in the Three Peaks Race in Yorkshire. (Three weeks before Achmony, I had lost out in a battle for fourth place at Creag Dubh by 0.5 of a second to a 20-year-old Fraser Clyne, who should have had more respect for his elders. At Achmony, we led the field to the top and then, on the road near the finish, Fraser passed me. As we entered the Games park for the final battle, my wife Kareen said that, written all over my face, was the expression “this b….. is not going to beat me again!” and a desperate kick took me to a three second win.)

That year, a classic race was born: Eddie Campbell’s Lairig Ghru. 28 miles of the roughest, toughest terrain around. Eddie had been telling us about his plan at other races. It turned out to be a beautiful day and thirteen bold heroes lined up outside Braemar Police Station just after 11 a.m. on June 19^th. Eddie’s race briefing went like this. “Thanks for turning up, Lads. Now this is Braemar Police Station, the start, and we’re going to run through the Lairig to Coylumbridge, turn left and finish at Aviemore Police Station. It’s about 28 miles. Ready? ….GO!” We all thought, “Hey, wait a minute, what about marshals, drinks, race numbers…?” but off we set. Andy Pratt won in 3.12.40 with me about a minute behind – and Andy’s time remained a record for almost 20 years.”

“1977 was also full of hills and thrills. This was the year I decided to put on a local race and Scolty was born. This was to become a Fraser Clyne preserve, and there cannot be many races in Britain which have been dominated by one runner over such a long period. I never won Scolty but had a few second places. It was a knackering weekend. Saturday was running round the course setting out the flags, often with Fraser’s help. Sunday was running it, doing the prizegiving, then going round with Kareen taking in the flags, before typing up the results in the evening ready for posting after some sneaky photocopying.

I improved to 41^st in the Three Peaks in the Spring, but suffered in the latter stages and vowed that one year I would beat this course instead of the other way round. Carnethy (sixth), Chevy Chase (twelfth), Cairngorm (second) and Achmony (3^rd) all passed by, but the jewel in the crown was the fantastic Sierre to Zinal in Southern Switzerland. This race is exceptional, 28 km and 1900 metres ascent. I finished 99^th out of 1000 and vowed to return. The route is surrounded by 5 mega-mountains and each year the finisher’s medal depicts a different mountain. The secret is to try and get the set.

In 1978 I competed in four races I hadn’t tried before: Ben Nevis (37^th), the Half Ben (9^th), Ben Lomond (8^th) and the delightful Knock Hill in Crieff – this is an evening race with a gala atmosphere and lots of youngsters turn out. At Knock, I moved through the field, passing kent faces, until only one rival remained in front. He didn’t look familiar and, although I kicked like hell as we entered the Square at the finish, he got home by ten metres. He turned round and, as I went to shake his hand, he said, “It’s okay, you’ve won. I’m in the fun run!” It turned out to be Jim McKechnie, a professional runner who hadn’t been allowed to enter the main race. Thankfully, those archaic days are gone.

1979 was a cracker. 3000 miles run, no days off, 36 years of age and going like a train. 13^th in Carnethy and 3^rd in Knockfarrel heralded a determined attempt to crack the Three Peaks Race. Two extremely long runs in the penultimate week before the event seemed to do the trick as, for the first time, I got up Ingleborough without feeling like death slightly warmed up. On the way to the finish I was in the teens and kept controlling it so I didn’t blow up. 17^th! Perseverance pays off!

For the past four years I had come second in Cairngorm and was getting fed up having a big lead at the summit then getting passed, usually by course record holder Bobby Shields. This year followed the same pattern, but when I was overtaken just before the Ptarmigan restaurant by Bobby and Ronnie Campbell, I dug in and refused to get dropped. We descended with about 20 metres covering the three of us, and when we came to the flat section with under a mile to go, I kicked. Nothing happened …. the gaps stayed the same. We hit the horrible final 600 metres upgrade to the finish …. and the gaps stayed the same. All three of us were under the record with Bobby winning in 72.15 and me seven seconds back in third. One of my most memorable and satisfying races on the hills.

I had been planning to have a crack at the late Eric Beard’s Four Cairngorm 4000 feet tops record nine days later, but came out of the Cairngorm race with a hamstring injury. Happily, although I started the attempt with doubts about the leg, it did not trouble me and I reduced Eric’s time by some seven minutes to 4 hours, 34 minutes 8 seconds, with great navigational help from Dave Armitage. The record still stands 19 years on, but will be broken by someone more talented than me, as long as they get good weather and are as psyched up as I was. (I remember my spectating father being shocked by my oaths of excitement with two miles to go, as I realised I was going to take the record!)

In 1980 I developed my fascination with the Cairngorms and went back to run Glenmore Lodge to Cairngorm to Ben Macdui and return to the Lodge in 2.30.53. This is worth having a crack at.

I returned to Sierre-Zinal in 1981, then in 1982 began preparation for an assault on the veteran scene the following year. Kentmere was usually a championship race, so I had a recce of it, coming 49^th. In August I travelled to Strasbourg for the Oberhaslach to Rocher de Mutzig race with my Cambridge University friend Mike Turner and, as is the custom on the Continent, entered as a vet – being in my 40^th year. I came third vet in 1.38, and this is the nearest I have come to dying (literally) in a race. I took a drink with about three miles to go, choked and found I was unable to carry out the normally simple task of actually breathing. Fortunately, air eventually began to get through to my lungs, so I concentrated on the next task – getting a vets prize.

1983 was a mega-year. I had a real crack at the British Vets Championships, and Kareen and I saw a lot of England as we covered a good few thousand miles. You had to do ten races: three short, three long and three medium, plus one more. I did eleven: Kentmere (4^th), Three Peaks (8^th), Ben Lomond (2^nd), Northern Counties (9^th), Fairfield Horseshoe (4^th), Buckden Pike (3^rd), Kinniside (2^nd), Melantee (4^th), Borrowdale (18^th), Burnsall (4^th) and Thievely Pike (4^th). This took me to fourth place in the championship behind Paul Murray (Horwich), Andy Phillipson (Gosforth) and Norman Matthews (Horwich). This was tough but satisfying, even though I finished the season like a zombie.”

“In 1984, I completed my 100^th hill race, won the Scottish Vets Championship race at Ben Lomond in tenth place and also the inaugural Scottish Vets Championship Grand Prix along English lines. I retained that title the following year, but the highlight was setting up a time for the Cairngorm Six 4000s with Dave Armitage and Phil Kammer. We took 11 hours 39 minutes 4 seconds for the 12, 000 foot climb, the 40 mile trek round Ben Avon, Beinn a Bhuird, Cairngorm, Ben Macdui, Cairn Toul and Braeriach. I have always maintained that I was the third strongest of the three in this one. Dave and Phil were naturals at this distance, whereas I had great problems getting on board the necessary food and fluid.”

“1988 was the year which saw a major shift in my targets and, from nine hill races I went to two in 1989 (Craig Dunain and Scolty). I was really getting stuck into cross country and road races, since my old leg problem disappeared. Still, there were three long ones. One of Kath Butler’s aims was to have a crack at a time for the 4 Cairngorm 4000s. We ran round the Three Peaks in 4 hours 52, then Kath, her husband Eddie and I tackled the big one on 16^th July. Kath had a blinder and was really strong in the latter stages, setting a time of 6.44.58, which still stands. The three of us tackled Sierre-Zinal a month later. Kareen was seven months pregnant with Myles and I remember, as I lay on a makeshift hospital bed on a drip after the race, thinking, “I am not coping with these long ones. I’d better play it safe if I want to make it to fatherhood” And so I came off the hills and raced on country and roads. It seemed to work, as I got my first international vest for twenty years only weeks later in the Scotland v England v Wales Vets Cross Country.

One thing is worthy of mention. After all these hill races, I never succumbed to an injury. I believe the hills made my quads so strong that they protected my knees, whereas road running does little favours for quad strength.”

Most Scots endurance athletes feel the call of the hills at some point in their careers – for some it is something that they enjoy doing but not what they are best at so their career is mainly on the track or roads; for others it is a life changing experience and their whole athletic career becomes hill oriented.   Phil Dolan is one such.   An international runner on the track over 10,000m and twice representing his country in the world cross-country championship too.    Penny Rother won Scottish championships on track, road and country before turning to the triathlon.   Colin Donnelly was an out-and out hill man.   Bobby Quinn and Tommy Murray were multi-champions on all surfaces before taking to the hills late in their career and making a success of that.   Short profiles of all five are coming up.

DON RITCHIE: THE HILL-RUNNING EXPERIENCE

Donald Alexander Ferguson Ritchie M.B.E. (1944-2018) became renowned as Don Ritchie, who was reckoned by a leading expert to be the greatest Ultra-Distance runner of the 20^th Century. Before he realised that road and track racing between 50km and 24 hours would be his best events, Donald took part in many Scottish hill races plus one in England and another in Switzerland. From his excellent autobiography “The Stubborn Scotsman”, here are a few extracts.

In 1964, he took part in two hill races: at the Glenurquhart Highland Games (near Drumnadrochit); and Knockfarrel (near Strathpeffer).

1965 featured Donald’s first attempt at the classic Ben Nevis Race: I completed the course in 2-10-21, starting and finishing in King George V Park in Fort William. My diary entry for the race included: We lined up at the start after being checked. There was a false start, but we got underway on the second attempt. It was a fast start, and I kept up with Peter Duffy until the car park. After we started on the mountain path, I lost a lot of places since I was extremely tired and soon had to walk. My back ached from stooping. I kept to the path all the way to the top where it was misty. There we were given a marker on a string, which you put round your neck. I made up quite a few places on the way down, although I had to take care not to lose control, as this could be very dangerous. As I was nearing the bottom the man in front of me fell, so I stopped and asked if he was okay. He said that he was so I continued; my legs felt queer when I started to run on the road again. I was soon back, in the field where we had started, glad to be finished. We were given lemon squash and a seat in the first aid tent. We got showered in the British Aluminum Hostel, and then high tea at K.K. Cameron’s. I enjoyed my day.

 In 1966 he ran two hill races in successive weeks: At the Glenurquhart Highland Games at Drumnadrochit on 27th August I ran in the half-mile handicap and in the one-mile handicap, finishing 7th and 3rd respectively. I then ran in the hill race and recorded my diary: In the hill race I ran easily with the leaders and was 3rd at the top and still in contact. I took the lead, from Mike Davis of Reading and Ian Grant on the descent and led onto the path but, by the road, Ian had taken the lead. I passed him and kept ahead back to the Games field, where I piled on the pace on the track so that I could not be caught. There were 19 in this race so I was pleased with my victory.  

After the Ben Nevis race the following Saturday, I wrote in my diary: went off quite hard from the start to get up with Mike Davis, who I had decided to follow. As we ascended the path, I was surprised that I found it relatively easy, compared to last year. I was able to run well and got past some runners. At the ‘Red Burn’, where there is a choice of route, I chose the path in preference to the scree, which Davis and a few others chose. I was still going surprisingly well and at the top I was 9th. I stopped to put my shoe on properly as my heel had come out. On the way down I was passed by about five runners, while I only passed one. I fell once but managed to continue and passed another fellow only to be re-passed further down. When I got back to the road my legs felt very queer and I was tired. I closed on the chap ahead but did not catch up. I finished thirteenth in 1-54-34: an improvement of 36 places and 15-47 over last year. Peter Duffy was 2nd at the top and finished eighth in 1-51-01, his best ever. If I try this race again, I require to get stronger, to be able to run up faster and also practise running downhill. I think that I will stick to the path going up. After my shower I had my cuts cleaned by a Red Cross lady. The coffee made with milk was very good.

Allan MacRae of Lochaber AC won in 1-43-49, from Bobby Shields of Clydesdale Harriers (1-45-49) and there were 117 finishers. Next day I was a little stiff, but not nearly as bad as the previous year, but my arms were very painful and so were my shoulders and ribs.

1967 included a third Ben Nevis race, after a second win at Glenurquhart: One Sunday in August I went for a training run up and down Ben Nevis while my Grandfather timed me and found that my time from the car park to the top and back was 2 hours. I was very tired indeed and stopped three times for drinks from streams. On the way down I became dizzy and had to stop and rest for some seconds. I tried a different descent and was quite pleased about it.

 At the Glenurquhart Highland Games at Drumnadrochit I ran in the hill-race and finished first in 20-44, beating Mike Davis from Reading. I took an early lead and flogged myself up the hill and reached the top first. There I was delayed as a woman from the Civil Defence insisted on signing her name on my race number. She presumably delayed the others by a similar length of time. I managed to stay in front on the downhill section and, reaching the road, pushed on and finished about 100yds ahead of Davis, feeling ill from my effort.

On the 2nd of September I was back at ‘The Ben’ race and finished 11th; my diary entry was: I felt easy for a start and ran with the leaders, but as we reached the hill I began to slow slightly and then ran with Peter Duffy for a while and felt quite good. Shortly before half way up we were enveloped in mist and it became bitterly cold as wind and a mixture of sleet and rain blasted us. By the time I was reaching the top, my hands and feet were numb. As I turned at the top I began to shiver as I faced the blast and could not stop shivering and could not run fast. My head began to feel light and I had difficulty staying upright. I strayed off the path on the way down and as a result lost some time. I began to feel warmer as I got lower, but I fell once. Eddie Campbell passed me going at a great pace, giving me a shock. I reached the road and managed to pass one runner and reduce Eddie’s lead from half a mile to 22 seconds at the end. I was disappointed at missing 10th place, which is the last of the medals. My time was 4-27 slower than last year due to the bad conditions. I was, however, only 2-22 behind Peter Duffy who finished in 8th place, the same place as he occupied last year. Mike Scott finished 30th, My club-mate, Brian Craig, after reaching the top, collapsed on the way down and was taken down on a stretcher suffering from exposure. He was taken to the Belford Hospital where he was given a warm bath to bring back the heat to his body. I had given Brian a lift through from Keith, so I was responsible for getting him back. He was released from Hospital at about 9pm so we reached his home in Keith at about 12-30 and I reached home at 2am.

Bobby Shields had won the race in 1-41-11 from Mike Davies who finished in 1-45-07. There were 131 finishers in this classic race that year.

In 1969 Donald won three hill races: On the morning of the 5th of July, I drove to Caol near Fort William, where I picked up my Grandfather and continued to Kinlochleven to compete in the Mamore Hill Race, which is 17 miles in length and is part of the Kinlochleven Highland games. My diary entry was: At the start I had thoughts of wanting to win this race and ran with the leaders, Ian Leggett and Peter Duffy, for the first three miles up and over the tough ridge. Shortly after this Leggett pushed on, Peter and I resisted going with him, and we were soon joined by Ian Donald and Bobby Shields, both of Clydesdale, who ran with us for a while. Ian set out in pursuit of Leggett and caught him while Shields went away on the rough section round the side of the Mamore. When I reached the top of the route with Peter, the leading trio were out of sight and by the time we had made our way gingerly down we were passed by another runner, so there were now three of us fighting for fourth place. On reaching the road my legs felt useless and I was unable to go with the runner who had caught us on the descent when he increased pace. Peter and I just ambled along as best we could but, after about a mile, I began to feel my legs were recovering, so I was able to run faster. I left Peter and about two miles later caught the Dumbarton runner who had been with us as we started the road back and also caught Shields. I was now 3rd and could see that I was catching Ian Donald. I caught and passed him and shortly after saw Leggett about 600yds ahead, but I did not think that I had a chance of catching him. However, I realized that I was gaining on him and I felt a cold shiver pass through me when I knew that I could catch him. I caught him sooner than expected because, as I rounded a corner, he was walking only 50yds ahead. In the lead I ran harder, determined not to be beaten now and began to feel quite strong over the last section through the town and into the Games field to enjoy my moment of success. Peter finished 4th. My nipples were bleeding because of my sodden vest rubbing on them causing two great blood-stained patches on my vest. The weather was bad with a howling gale and very heavy showers of rain. 

At the end of August: I got my work finished by 12:00 again and after lunch, drove to Glenurquhart and had just enough time for a toilet visit and warm-up before the hill race at 4:00pm. I had quite a tussle with Alan McRae and Mike Davis. Mike passed me on the descent, but I caught him on the road and after a brief pause at his shoulder I pushed on and beat him by 90yds in 21-29. Alan McRae, the winner of the Ben Nevis Race in 1966 was third. Alan told me that his training was 20 miles a day and an example was 8 miles in the morning in boots on a soft surface and 12 miles of fartlek on roads at night.

On Saturday the 13th of September I again finished my dairy work by midday and drove to Strathpeffer for the Knockfarrel hill race. Thirteen runners and Tom Mackenzie of Inverness Harriers, who was also an official of the North of Scotland AAA, had assembled there, but the organizers, Ross-shire roads, appeared to have forgotten about the race. We decided to have a race anyway and Peter Duffy led along the old railway line until bushes blocked our way. We found an opening leading up to the fields and Peter got out first and was 30yds away by the time I got through and could start running again. On the ridge I lost control and tumbled, which shook and winded me, so Peter pulled further ahead. A quick descent and two better than usual gate clearances brought me to within 10yds of Peter by the farm. I then ran hard to catch him and on doing so ran past trying to look powerful although I was feeling tired and doubted if I could hold the lead to the finish. I managed to hang on to finish in 39-33, which was 15s inside my previous best for this course. Peter was fifteen seconds behind and Joe Clare was third in 42-27. Tom Mackenzie happened to have three plaques in his car, so he presented these to the first three.

In mid-April 1970, Donald finished second (2.25.44) in the Shettleston Marathon. The day after, as I had been staying overnight with Peter and Rita Duffy, I went with Peter to the Chevy Chase 20 miles Fell Race from Wooller in Northumberland. I started off at the back of the field and jogged along and found myself passing runners one by one. It was a tough run and conditions were made difficult by the deep snow, mist and cold wind approaching the summit of Cheviot. I finished 18th of the 50 or so starters in 3-08. The winner recorded 2-44 and Peter, who lost his way at one point finished 12th in 3-04. I did not feel particularly shattered, but my left Achilles tendon was painful; it had been sore before I started this run. I wore my tracksuit during the event and I was glad I had because the snow had a hard crust, which would have cut bare legs when one’s feet went through the surface on each step.

 Completing this race a day after the marathon was not a good idea, for my left Achilles tendon, which had been damaged in the marathon, was made worse and on Monday I had a lot of discomfort on trying to jog. (Typically, Donald persevered and, only two weeks later, won a silver medal in the Scottish Ten Miles Track Championship.)

Two weeks after his very first ultra (The Two Bridges 36 miles road race), came Donald’s last Ben Nevis Race: After another week of the usual routine of driving, working, running, eating and sleeping I ran in the Ben Nevis race again after vowing not to do so last year. For some reason when the race started I was in the tent taking my tracksuit off, so I had to make up a 60yds deficit before I reached the back of the field and by this time the leaders were 100yds ahead. By the start of the Ben path I was 20th. I was pleasantly surprised at my strength on the climb and reached the top in 11th. If I could have run down with more abandon and my eyes had not been watering, I could have caught some of the runners ahead as they were definitely within catching distance. As it was, I feared becoming badly injured, ran down cautiously and was passed by 13 runners before reaching the road, which was disheartening, although I managed to re-pass 3 on the road to finish 21st in 1-55-02. After this, I decided, definitely, not to run this race again, because my downhill running was not good enough and I did not intend to try to improve this. Jeff Norman won in 1-40-45 from Dave Cannon and Mike Davies.

 In 1971, he finished third in the Mamore Hill Race and, not long afterwards, completed a very hot and tiring Enschede Marathon in Holland: A week later, on the 11th of September, I ran in the Cairngorm 10 miles Hill Race and managed to lead Sandy Keith by 40 yards at the summit turn. Thankfully I managed to maintain my lead to the finish, despite very painful blisters that developed under my heels from the fast downhill running on the road section. I finished in 1-15-31, ahead of Colin Martin, 1-16-58 and Sandy Keith 1-17-12.

 As Donald Ritchie learned to peak properly for ultra-distance races, he avoided racing injury-causing hill racing. However, a final two extremely hilly events are well worth mentioning:

1973: On Friday, 13th July, I travelled to Jura, for the ‘Bens of Jura’ hill race. This required driving to Kennacraig, by Tarbert on Loch Fyne, where I left my car and caught the ferry to Port Askaig on the isle of Islay. From there I boarded the Feolin ferry across to Jura, then caught the waiting mini-bus to Craighouse. I booked into the Jura Hotel and walked round part of the course, covering about 10 miles.

 On 14th of July, I had a very hard time in the ‘Bens of Jura’ race of 16 miles over 7 mountain summits, including the ‘Paps of Jura’ for a total of 7500 feet of ascent and descent. My diary entry was: The course was dreadful and, if I had seen it properly before the race, I probably would not have started it. On Friday there was a mist so I could not see more than the third hill. I started quite easily and at the first top I was 3rd and within catching distance of the leaders. I maintained this gap until the third top but, when I started the descent from this, I had to scramble down a cliff and then 2000 feet of a scree slope. My ankles got badly banged and cut so I could not run down the scree like the others and I lost a lot of ground. I felt exasperated and decided that my aim now, must be to finish in one piece, rather than race for a high placing. I lost a couple of places going up the fourth top, but I had moved back to 4th by the top. The descent from this one was extremely dangerous and I lost more places. We were now climbing the ‘Paps of Jura’, which had very steep sides and looked a bit like volcanoes but with pointed tops. At the top of the sixth, I was 7th, but the descent from this one was suicidal with a precipice most of the way round the North side. One competitor; John Marstrand started an impressive avalanche as he descended the very steep scree slope. I made my way painfully and slowly down some very steep scree. At the top of the seventh and final hill I was 8th and after stumbling down through the rough boggy ground, to reach the bridge, which was the last checkpoint, I was 9th. On the 3 miles of road to the finish at Craighouse village hall, I passed two and finished 7th in 4-29-13. Bobby Shields of Clydesdale Harriers was first in 3-54. This is a race I will not try again. I was the only non-hill-running specialist participating. At night there was a Ceilidh in the village hall, which we all enjoyed. The summits in the order of climbing were: Dubh Bheinn (1725ft), Glas Bheinn (1839ft), Aonach Bheinn (1636ft), Beinn A’Chaolais* (2407ft), Beinn An Oir* (2571ft), Beinn Shiantaidh* (2477ft) and Corra Bheinn (1867ft)  [* indicates the ‘Paps of Jura’.]

I could not run for the following five days because my leg muscles were far too painful.

1979: SWISS MOUNTAIN CHALLENGE

I had received an invitation from J.C. Pont, to run in the Sierre to Zinal mountain race in Switzerland, which I had accepted. I contacted some of my running pals to find if they would be interested in participating in this race and combine it with a holiday in France/Switzerland. All agreed so on Tuesday the 31st of July, with Graham Laing as my passenger, I drove to Birmingham via Kirkcudbright over 2 days. In Birmingham Mal Pickering joined us and I drove on to John Lamont’s home in Epsom. John Lamont had arranged for Graham to meet someone from Shaftsbury Harriers, with a view to Graham joining this club as a second claim member and he would not be going further with us. Ron Maughan joined us at John’s and we were soon on our way to Dover, with John driving his well-laden Vauxhall Viva. Rather than search for a campsite near Dover we slept in the car, fairly close to the seafront, after sampling some Fremlings ‘Tusker Ales’. We caught the ferry to Calais next morning and in the evening we ran for about 9 miles in Amiens. I had trouble with my left knee, which became swollen and stiff. For the next 3 days we drove down through France in stages: Vittry-Le-Francois, St Laurent, camping and running until we reached Chamonix. There we stayed for a few days enjoying the good weather and magnificent scenery and some challenging runs, one up to a glacier.

On our way over to Switzerland Ron and I ran for 73 minutes up to 6500 feet from Col de Montets, enjoying the scenery, cool air and sunshine. John discovered that he had lost his passport somewhere in Switzerland, probably at our last campsite. A telephone call to the site office informed us that it had not been handed in, so we were advised to go to the British Embassy in Geneva to get temporary documentation for John. We drove there, located the Embassy and after hearing John’s story an official did the needful. She also invited us to have our passports stamped with the Embassy logo, for its rarity value. Later that day we arrived in Sierre where I registered for the race and was given my agreed ‘expenses’ and the address of my host family, who would provide 4 days ‘board and lodging’. John, Mal and Ron entered the event too. We then had a day to relax before the race on Sunday the 12th of August.

The 6th edition of the 31Km Sierre-Zinal Mountain Race started at 08:00 and required 2000 metres of ascent.  I had to walk most of the early part, as did others because of the steepness of the ascent through the trees. Many passed me on this section, but later, when I was able to run, I pulled back a lot of places. When the path became narrow and stony I slowed a lot as I picked my way along. The views across to the mountains were spectacular when I got a chance to look. Also I became very tired and despite slowing I did not recover, which might have been due to the altitude of up to 2387 metres on that section. On the 745m descent to the finish in Zinal I lost many places finishing 129th in 3-20-47. John was the best of us three, finishing 107th in 3-16-43 followed by Mal, 118th in 3-18-42 and Ron, 300th in 3-48-58. There were 1051 participants listed in the race results booklet, which reflects the popularity of this race. There were 1117 ‘tourists’, who set off at 04:30 to walk the course.

*

Donald was a very good hill runner, of that there is no doubt.  It was not what he will be remembered for and his many ultra distance records will always take precedence in the minds of most.   There are others though, who did run on other surfaces but who were natural hill and fell runners.   Maybe it is in the genes!   At any rate the Shields twins, Bobby and Jim, were more at home on the hills than on any other surface.   Bobby had a whole series of victories in some of the hardest races, he was also second, after leading to the final race, to Dave Cannon in the first ever British Fell Racing championship.   Jim excelled as a vet and even competed for Great Britain in the world triathlon championships.    They’re up next.

One of Donald’s younger clubmates at Aberdeen University was IAN F. RUSSELL, who ran well over cross-country, hated road races but had a real talent for hill running, especially the Ben Nevis Race.

                                                                BEN NEVIS RACE MEMORIES by IAN F. RUSSELL.

Here are some memories taken from my diary and after talking with Helen (now my wife, and was my girlfriend back then). This was my daily diary, and not a training diary by any stretch of the imagination.

From a young age, I knew I could not run as fast as other boys my age, but I could run further! As I progressed through the school, I moved to cross country and hills. At Aberdeen University, I joined the cross-country club – the Hare & Hounds.

My first attempt at the Ben Nevis race was “unofficially” in 1968 (19 years old), at the end of my second year at Aberdeen University Medical School. I had never been up Ben Nevis, and my father and I went to Fort William for the day. I waited at the start of the hill path at Achintee farm and let the first 20 -30 runners go past, before “blending” in. I was pleasantly surprised that I was not left behind, but instead I was making my way steadily through the field. At the Red Burn crossing, I noticed that the half dozen or so runners in front of me left the “Tourist Path” and headed straight up. That suited me fine.

By the top, I was 4^th accompanied by another guy, and only 30 or so yards behind the front two and a similar gap behind. As we headed straight back down, I was aware the first two were gradually eking out their lead, but the guy in 3^rd place was doing his utmost not to let me past and, on several occasions, came close to a face plant if I came alongside him. Since I was a non-counter, I did not want him on my conscience, and I eased off and let him build up a 10 m lead. I was never aware of anyone behind me, and did not look anyway, not even as I grabbed a scooped two handfuls of water crossing the Red Burn at the bottom of the “grassy bank”. When we arrived back at Achintee farm, the leader was well gone, but the second man was only 30 – 40 yards ahead. My time up and down was 1hr 20min –I was surprised how quick it was. I had assumed it would be longer: it was shorter than many of my training runs. However, the time did not mean much to me, much more important was the fact that I could “hack it” with these runners, and I was very happy with that result.

On the drive home, I thought that if I could get a team together from the University, we should do pretty well. I should point out that I was on the border of the first team/second team – sometimes running as 8^th man for the first team and sometimes for the second team.

In preparation for this, I applied for a summer job at the Fort William Hospital, explaining in my letter, that apart from the clinical experience, I wanted to train locally for the Ben Nevis race. On November 21^st I received a letter from Fort William hospital that I had a job (Clinical Clerkship) for next summer, until after the Ben Nevis race:  first part of plan successful! Then Don Ritchie, Colin Youngson, and Charlie McCauley agreed to make up the team of 4.

On 27^th July 1969, I arrived in Fort William, checked into my accommodation in the hospital and went for a run up Ben Nevis. From this point on, on weekdays, my training after work was either up/down The Ben before dinner, or around the Peat Track. The nights I was on-call, I would work out in the physiotherapy gym for 30 – 60 minutes. Weekends always involved a run up The Ben at some stage.

However, on Sunday 24^th August, disaster struck. On Wednesday (20^th) I had run up The Ben with football boots, in the hope that the studs would give me a better grip. They were awful: no grip on stones and rocks, and they dug into softer ground too much on the way down, causing me to fall a couple of times – but nothing serious. On Sunday, I was aware that my right big toe was a bit tender, and as the day progressed, it swelled up. So much so, that at night I could not sleep, and went down to the wards for some strong analgesics. On Monday morning, the locum surgeon, standing in for Ian Campbell, prescribed antibiotics and sent me off to lie in bed with my feet up for a few days. On Tuesday, the lymph glands in my groin were swollen and tender. It was Thursday before I got out of bed and had a light session in the gym. Similar sessions on Friday and Saturday. From Sunday, I did manage some gentle runs on the road, but I felt totally wabbit, with my gut upset from the antibiotics.

Saturday 6^th September 1969 – Ben Nevis Race, starting at the King George’s Playing Fields, Fort William. I met up with Colin (5), Charlie (4), and Sandy Gunn (AAC) (1), but Don Ritchie never turned up.

As soon as the race started, I knew I was in trouble, I felt weak as a kitten, and had no chance of keeping up with the majority of runners as they sped off round the field and up the road. If memory serves, I arrived with the last few runners at Achintee. Then it was onto the “real” hill path, and I took my usual shortcuts, with a couple of guys sticking with me all the time. I felt a bit despondent that I was not shaking them off, but the three of us continued onwards and upwards. One of them “dropped off” quickly a few hundred yards before Red Burn, and as I turned left after crossing Red Burn to head straight up the hill, the other guy stuck to the path. I ploughed on, deep in black thoughts about dastardly fate, but I did pass one or two on this section. Then, as my route rejoined the path near the top plateau, who should I see coming up the track on my right, but Charlie and Colin. I “popped” out in front of them and asked what position they were. I seem to remember they told me they were 9^th and 10^th. Well, that gave my mental state a great fillip, and I thought that if we stay together like this, we will have a team prize.

As before, once I started to come down, I never looked behind, just concentrated on the ground and my feet, so I do not know which way Colin and Charlie went down. I did not lose any places going down, but as soon as I hit the tarmac at Achintee, I realised my legs had gone. I struggled along the road, eventually finishing 20^th (1:56:55) which, I found out at the prizegiving later, was enough to win the Kathleen Connochie Cup for First Junior. Colin came 30^th (2:01:40) and Charlie 63^rd (2:14:7). In the team event we were 4^th with Lochaber the clear winners with a score of 31, Vauxhall Motors (106), Clydesdale Harriers (110) Aberdeen University (113).

I missed 1970 as I was busy with my research thesis at the University during the summer.

And so to 1971.

Saturday 24^th July. I took a weekend off to enter the Half Ben Nevis Race. I have no notes and no recollection of the event, except that my diary notes I finished 4^th in a time of 1h 3 min.

Sunday 15^th August, I arrived in Fort William and checked into my accommodation at the hospital. Like 1969, most evenings were either Ben Nevis, the Peat Track, or the gym.

On Sunday 22^nd August I had a training session up/down the Ben with some of the Lochaber runners (Eddie Campbell, John Marstrand, and Donald MacDonald). My diary notes “beat all three. 1 hour 58 minutes from Claggan.”

Saturday 28^th August, John Marstrand took me in his Aston Martin to the Glenurquhart Highland Games for the Drumnadrochit Hill Race. He warned me to look out for a sharp left-hand turn through a wall on the way down. I was second at the top and then overtook the leader on the way down. But suddenly I was faced with a fence and I realised I had missed the turn. Cursing under my breath I climbed back up what seemed like an interminable distance to the gap. I finished 5^th.

Sunday 29^th August. My Last hard session before The Ben race. This was a race with the Lochaber Team and a few others. Again, my diary notes “beat them all”.

Saturday 4^th September 1971 – Ben Nevis Race – Claggan Playing Fields start.

Like last year, the runners were off “Like Bats out of Hell”, so I found myself having a “slowish” start, but I knew my times and my pace. I arrived at Achintee in the middle 2/3 of the runners, and then it was the hill path proper. I steadily passed runner after runner and, by the time we crossed Red Burn, I could count the guys in front as we headed up the steep scree section – 7 of them. I arrived at the top in 8^th place. On the way down, I passed a few of them, but then lost most of the places on the road run from Achintee back to Claggan. I finished 7^th (1:38:09) to win the Kathleen Connochie Cup once more.

                                                                                                             Ian Russell 1971:The end is in sight.

Saturday 11^th September 1971 Cairngorm Hill race.

Again, John Marstand gave me a lift. For this race, I was an honorary member of Aberdeen AC! At the pre-race briefing, I knew that this was not going to be a good day for me! Very strict rules about keeping to the road, and then when you leave the road, keep to the official path – and no deviation, no shortcuts – or disqualification will follow. As expected, I found the road running and the not so steep slope of the path not at all to my liking. Don Ritchie won, I was 14^th and we were the second team. I have no record of my time. It is not a race I would have had any great interest in repeating, as, for me, it seemed little more than a road race.

Although I did not know it at the time, this was my last hill race. The following summer I got married, then it was my final year at University, graduation and off to Australia.

(Despite giving up hill racing, Ian Russell went on to climb all the Munros.)

Ian added in an email:

“I noted Don Ritchie’s thoughts, which are included in his autobiography.

‘1965

After we started on the mountain path, I lost a lot of places since I was extremely tired and soon had to walk. My back ached from stooping. I kept to the path all the way to the top where it was misty. There we were given a marker on a string, which you put round your neck. I made up quite a few places on the way down, although I had to take care not to lose control, as this could be very dangerous. As I was nearing the bottom the man in front of me fell, so I stopped and asked if he was okay. He said that he was so I continued; my legs felt queer when I started to run on the road again. I was soon back, in the field where we had started, glad to be finished. We were given lemon squash and a seat in the first aid tent. We got showered in the British Aluminium Hostel, and then high tea at K.K. Cameron’s. I enjoyed my day.

1970 – his last Ben Nevis Race

After another week of the usual routine of driving, working, running, eating and sleeping I ran in the Ben Nevis race again after vowing not to do so last year. For some reason when the race started I was in the tent taking my tracksuit off, so I had to make up a 60yds deficit before I reached the back of the field and by this time the leaders were 100yds ahead. By the start of the Ben path I was 20th. I was pleasantly surprised at my strength on the climb and reached the top in 11th. If I could have run down with more abandon and my eyes had not been watering, I could have caught some of the runners ahead as they were definitely within catching distance. As it was, I feared becoming badly injured, ran down cautiously and was passed by 13 runners before reaching the road, which was disheartening, although I managed to re-pass 3 on the road to finish 21st in 1-55-02. After this, I decided, definitely, not to run this race again, because my downhill running was not good enough and I did not intend to try to improve this.’

I think his comments, compared to mine, show our respective strengths and weaknesses (see the last race in my notes – Cairngorm).

Unlike Don, I found the Ben race to be a fantastic experience. I have honestly lost count of the times I have run up and down it and I never once felt in danger of falling while running downhill (with one exception – again see notes).

My Lawrence Ripples were great shoes for this mountain as there is no traversing around or diagonally across contours – just straight up and down.”

Ian Russell also sent information about his earliest hill racing:

“By the time I was 14/15, I was doing most of my running on the local hills and moors, distances of 5+ miles. From my home at the bottom of Glen Fincastle, there was only one way to go – up! But I wanted to try my hand at the local hill race, Craig Varr, at Kinloch Rannoch Highland games (minimum age 15 yrs). Described as 1000ft to the top of Craig Varr and back, total distance 2 miles but feels more!

On August 15^th (1964), at the age of 15, a few minutes before the race, my father (a gamekeeper) introduced me to a gamekeeper (Sandy Masson) who worked on an estate near Kinloch Rannoch. There was also a local shepherd (John ???) who ran, and between them, these two had been the winners of the hill race for quite a few years.

                                                                     I took this photo from the starting point of the race, by the stewards’ tent in the 1960s.

                                                                      The red line depicts roughly the “easy” route up and the “hairy” route down the “cliff”.

                                                                                                  2017: hill runners getting ready for the start

After the obligatory lap of the games park, we were out onto the road. After another 600m, just over the Allt Mor bridge, we turned sharp left (North) off the road, up under the pylon line, straight up a steep “rabbit track” through the bracken and trees, and eventually we came out onto open moorland covered with heather and bracken. I could see a “rabbit” track stretching off in a north-easterly direction to the point of Craig Varr. John was leading, with Sandy and I tucked in behind. He turned to Sandy and said, “Who’s this wee bugger stuck on your tail?” Sandy explained who I was, and told him to go on, as he would show me the way up and down. But no one had to wait, and we were 1, 2, 3, over as many yards, at the top where, if memory serves me right, we got a “National Coal Board” stamp on the back of our hands! We retraced our steps for maybe 50 + yards or so, and then turned sharp south towards the rocky cliff face that is seen from the village. A narrow scree gulley between the rocks appeared and I was given quick “on the hoof” instructions how to tackle this. Sandy and I lost about 20 yards to John, down the scree to the wood, and never made it up again on the run home. Sandy and I finished together (2^nd and 3^rd) with a sprint finish about 20 yards behind John. The route we ran is not described anywhere.

The following year (1965) I went back. On the Friday evening (20^th August) my father and I went to reconnoitre the route. We walked up the hill and examined where the scree slope began. It can’t be seen from the “rabbit” track, so I wedged a dead tree branch in a rock to indicate where it was. Then we went straight down the scree and at the bottom of the hill we cut a path through the bracken so that there was easy access to the fence off the moor into the trees, and back along through the trees to the outward path where it left the road. On the Saturday (21^st August), there was no sign of Sandy or John. I won the race.

I never saw Sandy or John again, but I have since discovered that Sandy went to work at Balmoral and became head keeper. He has been mentioned in the Queens Honours list twice (Member of the Royal Victorian Order (MVO), 2001, 2011).

In 1966 I set a new record (20 min:20s) and won again in 1967 and 1968. 1968 was quite memorable. There was an army exercise going on, with soldiers camped out nearby. A few minutes before the start of the race two guys with muscles on their muscles approached me. They were army training sergeants. Someone must have indicated to them who I was, and they asked “Are you Ian Russell. “Yes”, I replied. “And you’ve won the race for the past 3 years?” “Yes”. “We don’t know the route, can we follow you?” “That’s OK, as long as you follow me”. And we were off. They tucked in behind me along the road and up the “rabbit track” out of the trees and onto the moor. They could see the “rabbit track” heading off diagonally up the hill. “Is this the path to the top”? one asked. “Yes”, I replied. “See you then”, they said, and off they went. They were at the top about 30-40 yards in front of me, and as they passed me on their way down, they both gave me a big grin, and said “See you at the finish”.

I got my hand stamped, bounded down the scree slope, and ran back along the path cut through the bracken. On the bridge, everyone was cheering, and shouting “You’re first Ian”. I was standing at the finish having a drink when the two sergeants came into the field and started to race each other – you should have seen their faces as they turned the corner of the field and saw me lounging at the finish! They were NOT BEST PLEASED, and rounded on me with a few very choice words – but the gist of it was “You told us that was the F—— way”! To which I replied, “No. You asked me ‘was this the path to the top, and I told you it was! And do you remember the last thing I said to you before the race started”? They looked confused. “I said, ‘That’s OK, as long as you follow me. But you didn’t follow me, did you?” And I walked off. I suspect that they were somewhat embarrassed at being beaten by a “scrawny youth”, and were going to have to take some “stick” when they got back to camp!

Another memory sticks in my mind. I came home from University for a long weekend, which turned out to be rather damp. My local “Munro” was Schiehallion (the 59^th highest Munro – 1083 m, 3553 ft) about 15 miles from home. Most of the path was OK for running, but there was (and still is) about 2km of boulder field to negotiate at the top. Unfortunately, I discovered I had forgotten my running shoes. On Friday morning, I drove to Pitlochry where, at the time, the Co-op shop sold “trainers”. I bought a pair and headed for Schiehallion. But by the time I was at the top, the “trainers” were wet through, and falling apart. As far as I could see, they seemed to be made mostly of what looked like cardboard! I took the laces out and wrapped them around the whole shoe to keep the uppers and the soles from separating completely. On the way home, I detoured to Pitlochry and showed the shoes to the salesgirl. She was horrified at their state and gave me another pair. On Saturday, I took some extra pieces of string with me – just in case. It was a repeat performance, but at least I had extra string to cobble things together. Once more, back to the Co-op, and I got a third pair. On Sunday, it was the same. On the Monday morning, en route for Aberdeen, I took the third pair back to the shop, and they gave me my money back! So, a cheap weekend of running up/down Schiehallion, 3 times in 3 days.”

Young Bobby Shields running in the Ben Nevis race

EXTRACTS FROM A PROFILE OF BOBBY SHIELDS by Brian McAusland

“Although Bobby Shields of Clydesdale Harriers ran on the track and the roads as well as over the country he really loved the hills and raced on them all over the country from the Kilpatricks in Clydebank to England, Wales and Ireland.   The Ben Nevis race is one of the most gruelling in the United Kingdom but if Bobby was a specialist in hill running, he was a specialist’s specialist in the Ben Race!    He was placed in the top ten eleven times.  He was 1^st 1967, 2^nd in 66, 3^rd in 65, 73  and 74, 4^th in 65, 5^th in 70, 6^th in 68, 7^th in 81, 8^th in 69 and 71 and eleventh in 64!   Furthermore, his eleventh in 1964 gave him twelve first eleven places in twelve years! Evidence enough of his ability and durability on the hills.

His best time for the event is an astonishing 1:31:58!   He did of course run in almost every hill every hill event in Scotland and we can’t cover them all over a 25-year period but some of the highlights can be listed.

*   Mel Edwards of Aberdeen was a good friend and rival who recalls the results between the two of them in the Cairngorm Hill Race in which Bobby won three times (1972, 1974 and 1979 when he set a record of 1:12:15), was second once (1981) and third twice (1974 and 1980).   The 1979 race was particularly memorable with Bobby winning in 1:12:15 from Ronnie Campbell in 1:12:19 and Mel in 1:12:22 – three runners covered by seven seconds after such a long and hard race.   He also set records almost everywhere he ran – the Maidens of Mamore is another example of that.

*   On 21^st August 1976 the one-off Maidens of Mamore race was held over Na Gruagaichean and Binnean Mor.   Bobby won in 1:43:40 with Ronnie Campbell second in 1:45:51 and twin brother Jim Shields third in 1:52:24.   Clydesdale Harrier and good friend of Bobby’s Ian Donald was eighth in 2:03:44.

He was well known all over the British Isles for his prowess on the hills having raced in England and    Wales and completed many feats of hill running endurance with the best runners of all time on the fells of England and mountains of Ireland.   He also ran for several different clubs on the hills and fells – eight of his Ben races were in the colours of Lochaber AC, for instance, and he represented Kendal AC in England and Lagan Valley in Ireland

When the British Fell Runner of the Year competition was started in 1972 Bobby led the competition right up to the very last race when Dave Cannon from Cumbria snatched it from him.  The competition involves selecting a prescribed number of races from three different categories which include short, medium and long races and adding the points so gained.   On another occasion Bobby shared first place. Dave particularly remembered finishing third in the Ben Nevis in 1973 beaten by Bobby and Harry Walker, another noted English Fell Runner and winner of the race.

 Not only a runner, Bobby Shields has also been responsible for two races that are among the most serious tests of strength in any hill runner’s calendar.  The race over the 95 mile West Highland Way is now established in the athletics calendar but few realise that it came about as the result of a personal challenge between Bobby and his friend Duncan Watson in 1987 – two of Scotland’s best ever long distance hill runners.   It is now in 2007 an almost over-subscribed event.

He also created the Arrochar Alps Hill Race with fellow Clydesdale Harrier Andy Dytch in 1987.   This one covered 21 kilometres, took in four Munros – Ben Vorlich, Ben Vane, Ben Ime and Ben Narnain – with a total ascent of 2400 metres and was used as a British Championship race in 1988.”

EXTRACTS FROM A PROFILE OF JIM SHIELDS (BOBBY’S TWIN) by Brian McAusland

Jim Shields, 352

Jim Shields joined Clydesdale Harriers as a 15 year old from secondary school and was a member of a very good group of half a dozen runners, including his twin Bobby, which won many awards at county, district and national level.  He emigrate to Canada for a short  spell but came home ran for Clydesdale Harriers on track and roads but mainly over the country and on the hills.   He ran in five Edinburgh to Glasgow Relays, took part in the Glasgow to Fort William Relay and even ran in the straight through Glasgow to Fort William race before it was a regular event.   As a good club man he turned out in County, District and National championships and open races.   

In the 80’s and 90’s he headed up a superb group of hill runners including Scottish Internationalists and record holders Brian Potts, Ian Murphy and Christine Menhennet.  He ran in all the top hill races in the country and took part in the Ben Nevis race no fewer than 17 times.  However, his knees and ankles did not take too kindly to all the hill running and he thought his career was over.   When subsequently he was diagnosed to have M.E. it really seemed that his athletics days were behind him.   The shortest walk was a problem and the illness kept him off his work as a painter with BAe Systems in Scotstoun.   But he never gave up and because of the problems with his knees he took up cycling and swimming as soon as he was able to do so.

Jim improved his diet and built up his fitness gradually. He took up triathlons and became so fit that he was selected for the M55 British team in the 2001 World Triathlon Championships in Edmonton. His finishing position was a very good 5^th.

In the last week of August 2001, Jim ran in the World Hill Running Trials in the Glentress Forest at Peebles and won his M55 age group race (over 8000 metres climbing to 1900 feet) by almost a minute and gained selection for the world event in Poland.   Came the race – the World Veterans Mountain Running Trophy Race – a month later and he finished second after a sprint for the line with a local man.   Jim’s feat of winning a medal in a major championship was unmatched in the club’s 116 years up to that point.   He followed the medal winning performance with a win in a local race the next day!   The trophy was much admired on his return but not as much as the actual race performance.

Jim went on running triathlons at home and abroad and winning Scottish championships but the performances in 2001 were to be the start of a series of excellent running in international events.    The four international triathlons that he competed in between 2001 and 2007 were as follows: 

• 22 July, 2001: Edmonton, Canada.   5th finisher out of 40 starters and 1st British finisher out of 11 taking part.
• 9th November, 2002: Cancun, Mexico.   24th out of 61  and 4th out of 18.
• 20th August, 2005: Lausanne, Switzerland.   1st overall out of 17 and 1st British out of 4.
• 2nd Sept, 2007: Hamburg, Germany.   11th out of 79 and 4th out of 19 GB.

There was also an international Duathlon in Edinburgh where he was 9th finisher in a field of 19.   The Picture below is of Jim on the podium in Lausanne in 2005.

He also ran in other hill running events – note the trophy below from the World Mountain Running Association Veterans event in Poland in 2001, and there was also the Australian Hill race at Pomona with the trophy below the Swiss one. The Polish one is interesting because he was beaten by a Czechoslovakian runner called Goetz Biemann whom he would normally have beaten.   They ran together the next day and Biemann told him that he would normally have beaten him but “yesterday was my day.”   

Jim Shields’s Trophy from the WMRA Veterans Championship in 2001 

Excerpts from ‘Stud marks on the summits’ by Bill Smith. Published 1985.

 “Brian Finlayson was born 3/6/47 at Falkirk but now lives in Edinburgh. He is employed as a bank official. Brian ran for Forth Valley Harriers before transferring to Lochaber AC in 1972.

He gained a ‘Blue’ for cross country at Strathclyde University after representing Scottish Universities. Brian won the 1977 North of Scotland cross country championship.

His interest in hill racing was a natural extension of this interest in hill-walking, rock climbing and snow and ice climbing – and later ski-ing. He climbed all the Munros by the age of 23 and before that had been a cyclist.

In the Ben Nevis Race, Brian Finlayson was a close second to Dave Cannon on three occasions: 1971, 1972 and 1974. These he considers his finest performances, since Cannon was a superb hill racer, who won the 1973 British Fell Running Championship and became a prominent GB International Marathon runner. However, Brian says: “My biggest regret, looking back particularly at the Ben Races, was not spending more time sharpening my speed on the road – and this cost me a number or wins.”

Between 1970 and 1976, Brian Finlayson won at least 25 hill races, including: Ben Lomond five times; Eildon; Bens of Jura; Cairngorm three times; Half Nevis three times; Goatfell; Glenurquhart; Creag Dubh; Melantee twice; and Lomonds of Fife twice.

He finished 7^th in the 1972 fells championship; 14^th in 1973; 4^th in 1974; 3^rd in 1975; and 14^th in 1976, but did not take the championship very seriously, since he did not believe in organising his lifestyle to conform with competing in certain races where points were available. For Brian Finlayson, winning the Ben Nevis Race would have been more satisfying that becoming Fell Runner of the Year.

“At my peak, going back to 1974, I trained hard in the winter months, up to 110-120 miles per week, and then raced frequently but selectively in the summer period. I recall a steady build-up in mileage and quality, with the finishing touches taking the form of fast, hard repeat sessions on a half mile 1:3 hill.”

He has not run a hill race since 1977, but has climbed in the Pyrenees, Swiss Alps and Yugoslavia, and in 1980 climbed Kilimanjaro and Mount Kenya: “the latter by the technically quite difficult South Face route.”

Brian and his wife intend to continue their mountaineering pursuits and he has no plans to resume hill running: “I thoroughly enjoyed racing, but do not feel inclined to race again at a time when I am not ‘racing fit’. Rather it was a phase in my life about which I have wonderful memories – and I plan to keep it that way.” 

Hill runners are very gregarious people – they all know that just to run and finish most hill races takes a lot of training, a lot of determination and a life style that most can’t contemplate.  The Shields twins are no different and Bobby is seen above starting an epic run with Mel Edwards.   Mel was one of the kindest and most gentle men you could hope to find but you can’t do the running he did, turn in the times he did or collect the scalps of other runners by being gentle with yourself.   He was an amazing person and a superbly talented runner while always being considerate of others.   There is the story of him going for the train home after winning the 1967 Harlow Marathon and sharing the carriage with a really depressed man.   He asked what the problem was and he said he had run the Marathon and run badly and finished last.   Mel thought for a minute and asked what the man’s position was, he was told and he then said that the man had beaten several other runners who had dropped out. “At least you had the guts to finish!” Mel said. And he added they had all trained for the race, so the guy’s run wasn’t that bad.  By the time the train reached the next stop, the chap was feeling much better.   The next page here is about Mel as a hill runner. 

..

Roger Boswell (Lochaber AC) wrote: “It was Eddie’s idea to do the Lochaber Marathon, Lochaber Half Marathon, Glasgow to Fort William Relay, Fort William to Inverness Relay, Four Tops Race, Aonach Mor Race, Peat Track Clockwise, Peat Track Anti-Clockwise, Lairig Ghru Race – all these while I have been around Fort William. I wouldn’t mind betting that Eddie had a hand in the Melantee, Half Nevis and Spean Bridge Road Race (the forerunner of the Glen Ten). I’ll not forget Eddie. Thanks, Eddie.

Colin Youngson (Aberdeen AAC) remembered: “Aged 21, I raced against Eddie in 1969, during my first marathon (Inverness to Forres) and then at my one and only Ben Nevis Race. Thereafter, I stuck to marathons, since there were no scary downhills! In the late 1980s and early 1990s I got to know this unforgettable, charismatic man a lot better, especially when I raced the Lochaber Marathon, when he was the most enthusiastic, supportive organiser imaginable. It was a privilege to be one of his many admirers.”

(A challenging event was ‘The Three British Tops‘ (Snowdon, Scafell Pike and Ben Nevis) in which fell runners were driven in a car between runs. In 1956, two cars left Fort William for the inaugural record attempt. Three times Ben Nevis race winner, from Lochaber AC “bricklayer Brian Kearney” was to do the running. The start was from Caernarvon Quay at 23.30 on July 7th and the finish at Pier Head, Fort William 15 hours and 23 minutes later. Snowdon was run in darkness and mist, Scafell Pike in rain  and Ben Nevis in rain. Subsequently, the record was reduced by four Englishmen: from north to south Mike Turner of Liverpool in 1963; from north to south, George Rhodes of North Staffs in 1964; Peter Hall of Barrow (from north to south later in 1964) and in 1971 by Jos Naylor (from Fort William to Caernarvon in 11 hours 54 minutes). In 1973, Eddie Campbell created a new Veteran’s Record of 13 hours 22 minutes for this same north to south route, having been chauffeured by the Ben Nevis Race Association chairman, George McPherson.)

Leen Volwerk, who edited  “Eddie Campbell: An Appreciation”, published in 1997, which contains many tributes to the late hero, wrote the following:

“Eddie will not be running the Ben Race this year; nor did he run it last year. It will take many of us a long time to get used to the idea of a Ben Race without Eddie. His death is a watershed in the history of the race: we have now entered the post-Eddie era.

No one comes close to matching his distinguished record in the Ben Race: first three times; in the top ten ten times; started and finished forty-four times; a continuous presence in the race from 1951 and 1995. He was as much a part of the race as the mountain itself.

Eddie, always a striking figure in his later years, as befitted one who was different from the ordinary man, was a legend for his Ben Nevis exploits but there was a lot more to the man. He was inspirational to a host of runners both in Lochaber and in the wider world. Some top-class runners relied on Eddie’s guidance when they attempted record-breaking runs on the Ben or other Lochaber mountains. His drive and resourcefulness led to a lot of new races entering the race calendar as a memorial to his energy and enthusiasm. We owe a lot to Eddie.

Essentially a modest man, he was still quietly confident of the work of his own achievements. This was what gave him the serenity and dignity which characterised him. All of us who knew him felt privileged to do so. He had presence. In a sense, he still has. As a former Ben Race winner, Allan MacRae of Assynt, wrote: “Eddie may be gone, but the challenge of the race remains. Other runners come and go, but Eddie has left an indelible mark on the history of the race.”

Runners, remember Eddie at the summit cairn today; he was once as tired and inspired as you.”

*

There were lots more tributes to this remarkable man, one of the best was this one which appeared in the Fell Runner of February, 1997

*

We didn’t see Eddie running in the central belt too often but there was one year when he ran in the Edinburgh to North Berwick 22.6 miles race and was asked at the end by Jack McLean of Bellahouston why he wore such long shorts – “They add minutes to your time, Eddie!”   Eddie looked at him and said with a straight face, “If you lived where I lived, you’d wear shorts this length as well!”   He had a sense of humour.   One of the big challenges in the North of Scotland is the Ramsay Round which comes next.

..

Hugh passes Paul Ross  on the third stage of the Edinburgh – Glasgow Relay on which he caught 8 other clubs.

Hugh Forgie trained with our squad at Coatbridge from about 1983 to 1986 or ’87.   He was already a successful athlete, having been coached by Alex Perrie to many good performances.   A member of many excellent Law & District teams from the time when he was in the Youth Team that won both the Midlands & National Cross- Country titles in 1973.  On the Track he was a Scottish Internationalist and won the Silver medal in that event in the Scottish Championships in 1979.  He also gained the Silver Medal in the British Indoor 1500m final behind Seb Coe.   He had that medal and its ribbon above the mantelpiece in his Carluke home for some time.   In 1980 and 1981 Hugh was a member of the Law Senior Men’s Team that won the West District Cross- Country Championships.   A very good athlete indeed.

He was also a great character and an asset to any team or squad that he ran with.   For a proper review of his career, read the appropriate obituary on his club website: you’ll find it at   http://www.lawaac.co.uk/news/latest-news/1084-remembering-club-athlete-hugh-forgie

Paul Ross, the runner just behind him in the photograph above described him as one of the best guys he ever trained with.   And he was well liked by all in the group.   Look at the runners in the photograph below – as well as Hugh (or Shug as he was always called) you’ll see Sam Wallace , Alex Gilmour, Graham Getty, Jim Orr, Susan Crawford and other very good athletes as well as some who were not quite as good.   But Shug (8th from the left) treated them all the same and was respected by them all.

At that time he drove a Ford Cosworth car – very fast car which he drove fast!   There are lots of good stories about him – and I’ll tell just a few.    The squad  grew and Hugh clearly liked it – helped it grow, always asked before he invited anyone along – Kevin Snowball, David Marshall, Alex Gilmour, Billy Nelson were all recruited in the first instance by Hugh.   What was he like?

*

One year in the mid eighties before running the third stage of the Edinburgh to Glasgow  he came to me and said what was it like.

Undulating,  I said. At the end, after a very good race indeed in the course of which he picked up 8 places,  he came to me and said, “Undulating? Undulating? Ah couldnae fin the doonhill bits!”