Chris Brotherston sent in this report of the recent Lowe Alpine Mountain Marathon (12/13 June):

For those of you who don’t know about the LAMM, it is a 2 day mountain marathon done in pairs with an overnight wild campsite. It is meant to be a challenge of hill fitness, orienteering and mountain self-sufficiency. This was my second time competing with my partner Robin Orr and it was my main motivation for joining Bella…….when I found out last year that I couldn’t run or navigate and was self-insufficient. One of the key elements is keeping your (carry) weight down and I knew I was in for a shock my first time round when Robin told me that I ‘shouldn’t’ bring boxer shorts as they were too heavy (!) and that I needed to drastically reduce my hill food (disaster for me!). This year I was better prepared with my underwear sorted, a post-it-note sized karrimat to sleep on, the foil removed from my painkillers and just enough food to continue to keep my B.M.I on the wrong side of normal. As usual with the LAMM the start location was kept a secret until two days beforehand to stop Bella type ‘reccies’…..and this year it was kindly close to Glasgow in Glen Fyne.

We competed in the ‘C’ class which I had convinced myself stands for competent rather than c**p. We set off really early the first day covering the 25km/1700m of ascent in 5h 45min and were placed well enough at 19th from about 160. We would have done better but the heat took its toll on the umpteenth hill. Afterwards it was a surreal experience at mid-camp sitting with a crowd of glum England fans huddled round a car radio 1400 foot up a mountainside listening to England sadly draw with USA.

Second day dawned with a sensory overload (the smell of latrines and the shrill piping of a lone bag piper). Thanks to my (partner’s) navigational skills we started well and picked up some places and were well placed until the final hill check point. I knew immediately we had a problem when Robin cursed past me muttering ’we’re on the wrong f*****g’ hill’ (Translated this actually meant – you need to improve on your navigation Chris because you had the task of marking the check points on the map and you couldn’t even get that simple navigational task right)

Anyway we eventually finished 12th which was up from 30th last year – something which I can certainly attribute to the Bella sessions. Unfortunately I still need to work on my navigation, so if anyone sees me running round Bellahouston park in the middle of the night carrying a map and compass and wearing just a headtorch and my ‘sorted’ underwear, rest assured I am just trying to find the right f*****g’ hill’

If you fancy the LAMM, check out the website http://www.lamm.co.uk, I would recommend it!

Brendan sent in another great race report from yesterday’s Lairig Ghru hill race:

Brendan in full flight, taken by Peter Diender, www.action-heroes.co.uk

The 2010 Lairig Ghru race took place yesterday (Sunday 28/6/10). The race runs from Braemar to Aviemore across the Cairngorms and the Lairig Ghru pass. The route starts with a gentle rise out of Braemar along quiet road towards the stunning Mar Lodge, from there its on to landrover tracks for a few miles until you get to Derry lodge which is about 9 miles in. At this point you get on to a good mountain path which rises up and over the Lairig Ghru pass, its about another 7 miles before you get to the top of the pass and the boulder fields.
The boulder field feels like it is massive, it stretches for about 2 miles, it has rocks that are considerably bigger than Jane Simpson, which was quite amusing, especially when she started to do a great impression of Muttley, couldn’t see her, could just hear her “shuggin, fuggin, stupid rocks, boulder field ar$e”. The rocks are also quite violent and frequently “jump” anyone that stops paying attention for any length of time… Cue a comedy fall where I end up headfirst down a banking on my back looking like a turtle trying to get myself the right way up.

After the boulder field it’s a technical rocky downhill path for about. 2 miles to the top of the forest at Rothiemurchus, no sooner had we entered the forest than I got jumped by possibly the smallest bit of tree root in the Cairngorms, Jane did well to stifle her laughs as i face planted on the forest paths… thanks. Through the forest and on to Coylumbridge where you rejoin the main road and head for Aviemore police station and the finish. We had a nice strong finish averaging just over 7 mins a mile for the last 6 of the 28.

We both finished in 4:35:38 (ish)

More details of the route can be found at http://www.deesiderunners.com/dp/node/10, and the map at http://www.scottishhillracing.co.uk/Graphics/Maps/RA-0067-main.jpg

A cracking race, stunning views of the cairngorms and really good mixed running ( although road shoes are fine for it).

Well done to Jane on completing her first marathon somewhere in amongst the 28 miles that we covered yesterday

Special thanks to Peter Diender for the picture, and permission to use. Check out his other pictures from the event here.

We are very pleased to launch this years achilles heel Bella 5K.  The race takes place in Bellahouston Park on Sunday 8th August starting at 11am.  All the details are on the events page here.

The Seven Hills of Edinburgh took place yesterday, described as: “a few hundred hardy individuals taking part in one of the most unusual running events in the country, The Seven Hills of Edinburgh — a combination of road-running, cross-country, hill-running, and urban orienteering… 14 miles in length and with 2200 feet of ascent/descent.”

Brendan Moriarty and Jane Simpson took part, and sent in this cracking report:

Yesterdays big race was not the Mens Health 10K but actually the “7 Hills of Edinburgh”.

The race starts at Calton Hill and takes in Castle Hill, Costorphine Hill, Craiglockhart Hill, Blackford Hill, Braid Hill and Arthurs seat before returning to Calton hill to finish. There is no set course which means that you constantly see people running in all directions.

Its a mental start, ploughing through throngs of tourists that were sightseeing early on the Sunday morning before taking to the streets for the first few miles as you make your way up to the castle swarming all over the royal mile like a plague. You clip your number at the bottom of the castle esplanade with the orienteering clip and and then from there it gets a bit more sane… well all apart from scrambling up near vertical hills, sliding down near vertical hills, jumping walls, jumping hedges on round abouts, scaling walls, wading through burns, jumping walls/ fences, ploughing through nettles and gorse, dodging traffic, getting covered in mud and ( if you are Jane Simpson) doing an impromptu forward roll down a hill in to the gorse and nearly whacking a fellow runner as you pretend to be a plane on a downhill“triple salco and somersault combination”. In total you do about 14 miles and about 2,200 ft of climbing.

There is plenty of water juice and food stops along the way, which were great on such a hot day.. At the finish there is a feed to rival even the Bella 5K.

A cracking race that is thoroughly recommended, not just for the cake..

Results below: Jane was 4th Lady home.

65 Brendan Moriarty 02:11:01 Bellahouston RR
66 Jane Simpson 02:11:03 F Bellahouston RR

Well done both of you. Excellent performance, and great report!

Oscar, one of the ‘B’ group coaches, was in London this year, supporting wife Jane and the rest of the Bella runners. He’s sent this report in of his exploits:

As has become my norm over the last 4 years, since I ran my last London marathon in 2006, I made my way down to London to support Jane and the rest of the Bella team doing the Marathon.

Arriving at the elite start just before 8 am the atmosphere was already starting to build and after saying a final good luck to Jane I headed to my first vantage point just after 12 miles. Having done this supporters role many times I have come to the decision that I can catch many more Bella runners if I limit myself to two points on the course, first one just before the turn to run over Tower Bridge then on to the Embankment.

Getting the train back from Maze hill to London Bridge I ran down to my first stop and got a great position before it starts to get too busy. I’m there in plenty of time to see the wheelchair leaders and then the first Ladies come through followed shortly by the leading men’s pack less than 20 minutes behind. Lemonchello going well and he gets a good cheer from me. Then comes the first athlete I know Jethro Lennox from Shettleston closely followed by our own Kenny. The crowd had really grown by now and the atmosphere built up – the noise was incredible. Seeing Kenny got my excitement level up and then Bella’s are coming thick and fast, Colin, Russell, Scott, Al, Brian, Rebecca, Alastair, Stewart, Linda and Karlyn, Lucy and Jane all getting the full Oscar projection to encourage them along. I hung around for about 10 minutes after Jane went through with a hope of seeing other Bella’s but I had to go if I was to get the 4.5 miles to my next viewpoint in time to see everyone again. I find it easer to run this rather than try to fight my way through the crowds using the underground.

I arrived at the embankment just before the 24 mile mark, at a point I am sure a few of the regular runners will expect me to be at, just missing the leading ladies group but in plenty of time to see the full list of those I saw at 12 miles. By this stage the runners really need a boost and I do try my best to give them a good shout. I don’t think many miss me though. Colin, Russell, Al, and Linda in particular looked like they were running really well as they came past me, then before I knew it a slightly emotional Jane came up the rise and I got a quick cuddle before she was off for her last two miles.

Off I set running the last two miles to meet up at the finish which is a mass of people trying to hook up with family and friends who have also done the race. Eventually Jane came out of the crowd really pleased with here efforts and proudly displaying her well earned Marathon Medal.

Every year at some stage I get to thinking I should be running this race again, thankfully it doesn’t last too long. I’ll be back watching though.

Andy Birnie sent in the following report from last weekend’s Highland Fling ultra marathon.

Saturday 24th April marked my first and very last ultra marathon.

This unique experience started off really well in cool damp conditions. Upto 23 miles it was a breeze, hitting all splits bang on schedule, sitting as 4th Vet, even enjoying the scenery.

Then suddenly somebody switched the lights out. Joe had warned me beforehand to expect some dark moments, but I did not expect the first dark moment to last 30 miles and another 6 hours. My running was reduced to something more akin to shuffling.

If my wife Emma had been at Inversnaid (34 miles) I would have happily chucked it, but without a means to get a message to her, I had to go on.

At Bein Glas farm (41 miles) I was met by the Bella posse. I knew there was no way I could chuck it now, so after my 6th Muller Rice and with my support team in tow, I was off shuffling again, eventually getting to Tyndrum (53 miles) and a heartwarming Bella reception, in just under 10 hours. I was outside my target time, but to be honest, after Rowardenan it stopped being a race and then became a challenge just to complete the distance.

I want to take this opportunity to say thanks:

• for support on the day – Emma, Dougal, Matt, Robert, Joe, Peter (& Daniel), Louise (& Anna), Neil, Danielle & the relay teams
• for my chaperones for the last 12 miles – Craig & Brendan
• for a life-saving massage after the event – Matt
• for company on my long training runs – Emma, Stuart, Dougal, Brendan, Davie, Greig, Peter & Jackie
• for advice from the ultra gurus – Robert, Joe & Stuart

And of course, well done to the relay teams:

1. the ladies (Emma (the other one), Jane, Lynsey & Jackie) successfully defending the trophy
2. the boys (Brendan, Marcos, Dougal & Greig) for beating Bella’s course record but being robbed of the trophy by some mob of interlopers from south of the border on a cross-border pot hunting raid.

P.S. Huge respect to the guys in the club who have completed and are obviously good at ultras

A massive shout out and very well done to our very own Tracey Murphy who completed the Marathon Des Sables at the weekend.  Tracey finished the 6 day, 151 mile race in 204th position overall, and 12th female.  Described as the toughest footrace on earth, competitors have to carry everything they will need for the duration (except tent) on their backs.  Mid day temperatures reach 120°F and the running or walking is on uneven rocky, stony ground as well as 15-20% of the distance being in sand dunes!  Tracey was raising funds for the Motor Neurone Disease charity.

Congratulations to Kenny Richmond who broke two club records at recent races.  At the Balloch To Clydebank Half Marathon Kenny improved his PB and the club record at that distance finishing in a time of 1:10:27.

Following on from that, Kenny also broke the club record and set another PB for 10 miles at the Tom Scott Memorial Road Race at Strathclyde Park finishing in a time of 53:06.

Well done Kenny, any more to come we wonder?

Well done to the Bellahouston Road Runners Men’s team who finished in 7th place in the National Road Relay’s held in Livingston on Saturday 3rd April.  This was an improvement of two places from the previous year.  The Bella ‘A’ Team was made up of Alasdair McLeod, Mark Johnston, Matt Williamson, Russell Whittington, Scott Kennedy and Colin McGill.  Well done boys.

The club has – as usual – been asked to provide start area marshals for the forthcoming Ignis Asset Management Women’s 10k on 9th May, 2010. Gent’s from the club, and ladies who aren’t running, can sign up to help out on the club forum.

The MHFS 10k for men, on 20th June is also on the lookout for volunteers. The event – the only men-only 10k in the country – is run by a small charity, so is dependent on lots of volunteers coming forward. Find out more, and sign up, on their website.

This year all members wishing to complete the club’s championship criteria need to volunteer at at least one running event.