Sunday 12th saw a rainy start on the road to Largs, picking up a friend (unattached! you know what I mean, male anyway) on the way.
I was really looking forward to running this after a maybe 30 year absence; it moved from its original Sept weekend slot & always seemed to clash with other commitments.
Great memories of the event; the wind & seaspray always seemed to be in the face for 3/4 of the way round! A very satisfying route around the Island, never understood why I didn’t quite break the hour, it’s now reckoned to be over the 10 miles by about a 1/4m. This time my target was 90mins. as a nice wee sharpener for the River Ayr Way 6 days later.
For once I was in good time, just as well as a boat was taken off; no sweat, wait for the other one. Cumbrae slip saw a massive Q waiting for the shuttle bus to Millport, & a bus filling up. Chill out, nice day now, chat with my mate, wait & wait, next boat arrives & leaves, Q lengthens, plenty howling weans, still no bus, driver maybe gone for lunch. Caught eventual next bus, must be Guinness Book contender for bodies in a bus.
After a delayed start for even later arrivals, what a brilliant run! Rain stayed off, even shafts of sunshine, light breeze, perfect running conditions, great scenery in all directions, Arran, Kintyre, sailing boats out, an absolute classic route. Almost traffic free, except for the 1st aid vehicle which belched out black fumes & seemed determined to drive slowly in front of me, vulture-like.
Ran nice & easy with my pal to the 5 mile mark, as this was his 1st event over 10k; darent risk another injury with a big race in 6 days, then picked it up for the proverbial neg. split, big wow, to finish happy in 87m 47s. in 129th from 161 finishers.
David Simpson of Corstorphine AAC won in 51.37,
Stuart Gibson of RH C’lang runner-up in 53.02.
Ellie Homewood, W’lands, was 1st lady in 66.37
& Laura Wallace, Ayr Seaforth 2nd lady, 68.28.
A grand day out, to be well recommended, & yes it was p*shing with rain again on the road home.
