race review 39
jogscotlandmagazine Summer 2011
race review
Run Balmoral Weekend
Run Balmoral is nowin its fourteenth year and the popularity of the event continues to growyear on year, especially amongst jogscotties. A large contingency fromthe jogscotland Rosemount atWestburn Tennis Centre in Aberdeenwere there on race day, here’s howthey fared…
RUN BALMORAL 10k – Stuart Patterson:
I thought I had leftmyself plenty of time to get to the start line, but queuing traffic andmassive lines for the toiletsmeant that all in all Iwas not feeling terribly comfortable at the start.
I had heard all the stories about ‘the hill’, but after about 3k the reality of it was about to sink in. I started on up, head down, baby steps, slowed to a walking pace, deep breaths, but it seemed never ending and it really took its toll onme – and then I struggled to get going again!
Although it was not my most successful run, the encouragement from the sidelines was great, and there were lots of jogscotland members there to cheer me to the finish.
Despite not being at my sparkling best, the whole experience was a good one. Iwill be back next year, fitter and more determined to deal with the hill!
PETROFAC CHALLENGE - Mhairi Jupp:
The first Petrofac Challenge, held at Balmoral Castle on Sunday 24 April (the day after the Balmoral 10k - the race with the hill) was definitely aptly named! The course, as anyone who has heard of the 10k would imagine, was ‘undulating’ and while not containing ‘THE’ hill, certainly had its fair share of ups, including two thumbs up at the end from the competitors!
above jogscotland Rosemount
The race was well organised from the signposting, parking and changing tents to the gathering of the runners at the start to brief them on the different terrain that they would be covering. Tagged as a ‘multi terrain half marathon’ it certainly was that!
The first six miles covered tarmac roads, hardcore trails and wonderfully springy Landrover tracks, whilst meandering through a beautiful forest route along the River Dee then looping back round a deer park to start the steady climb up into the hills.
The track up to Glen Gelder was tough going and not really for the weak of ankle with a mix of sand and rocks underfoot, but once up there it leveled off into moor land and if you managed to catch your breath after the climb and remembered to look around you, the scenery took it away again with stunning views of the Glen and surrounding hills.
At mile 10, just when you thought you might not be able to take any more, the legs felt what the eyes could hardly perceive – downhill! Those last three miles were fabulous, heading back down through the woods towards Balmoral Castle. I ran the last half mile or so back along the tarmac to the finish line with a great big grin on my face.
Once over the finish the local scouts handed out the medals and water. A nice touch was that the technical race T-shirt hill logo was different to the 10k one from the previous day.
This race is not about PBs but with tough terrain and beautiful scenery, it has something for everyone. For hardened half marathoners it is a great challenge and for those that are new to the distance it is a stunning route with a friendly atmosphere. This is going to become a popular race with those that have done the 10k and want just that little bit extra. Iwill certainly be back for more next year!
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