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Aug 2011
9:55am, 15 Aug 2011
3,567 posts
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Lapsed Athlete
I will keep an eye on this thread as I'd like to do some training on the WHW before the fling but expect it wont be easy for me to get up there so I may need to keep to training locally.
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Aug 2011
10:38am, 15 Aug 2011
75 posts
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M1nty
Hello Jambono, Tigger and Lapsed Athlete - great to know you're interested - it would be lovely to see some new faces as well as old friends on the runs. Even if it's a long round trip I'm sure you'll find it'll be worth it. WHW or Tescos on a Saturday morning? Hmm? hard decisioin.
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Sep 2011
12:15pm, 22 Sep 2011
79 posts
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M1nty
Hi all you ultra runners. It's a month exactly 'till our first training foray of the winter(?) season up on the Way, so I thought I'd share a few race facts with you to get you nicely in the mood:
Did you know:
The first running of the Highland Fling Race took place in 2006, where there were just 18 starters (17 finishers). The race was won by Norman McLennan in a time of 8 hrs 39 mins. A certain J Bragg was second, two minutes behind. The ladies race was won by Debbie Cox in a time of 10 hrs 31.
The following year Jez made the ultra world sit up and take notice by winning in a new record of 7 hrs 26, a full hour and a quarter ahead of Richie Cunningham, who incidentally won this year's full WHW Race. Jez then proceeded to better this time in each of the next two races up to 2009, where he arrived in Tyndrum 7 hrs 19 minutes after leaving Milngavie.
In 2010 he didn't run, concentrating on winning the shortened Ultra Trail du Mont Blonc (UTMB) race against the world's elite. 2010 also saw my first attempt, but alas, despite my best endeavours, I failed to win, finishing in 12:41. This honour instead going to Craig Stewart from Forfar runners in 7:45. Jez was back in 2011 and smashed his own record by finishing in 7:15. Unfortunately for him, and to everyone's surprise, he didn't win. A relative newcomer, Andrew James pulled away from Jez around Bein Glass and finished in an amazing time of 7:12.
In the meantime Lucy Colquhoun (you try spelling it) set about demolishing the women's record, first in 2007, in a time of 8:47, then a year later in the current record of 8:10. In 2011, the amazing Kate Jenkins from Hunters Bog Trotters won in 9:04. Kate is the undisputed top female in Scottish longer distance running, winning the WHW Race six times since 1999, including earlier this year in a time of 19:08.
The Highland Fling Race has grown massively since 2006. This year there were 378 starters (320 finishers) making it the No. 1 ultra race in Scotland. Yet the entrance fee is a paltry £20, with no maximum entry numbers set. Participants can complete the fully 53 miles without needing the assistance of any support runners. Just fill a few Sainsbury's bags with your ma's flapjacks and bananas and drop them off with marshalls who miraculously turn up with them en route, and this will see you right until the end.
I'll let you into a secret - if there was ever a race where just getting to the finish line was enough to keep you content for a lifetime's worth of running ambition, the Highland Fling Race is it. Not to be taken lightly, but with good quality training - and lots of it - it is quite possible to achieve.
More details of the training run to follow...
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Sep 2011
1:20pm, 22 Sep 2011
16,270 posts
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HappyG(rrr)
Great post Mintyman! 2013, maybe! :-)G
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Sep 2011
2:58pm, 22 Sep 2011
2,986 posts
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Lintie
lol - stats geek!
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Sep 2011
3:51pm, 22 Sep 2011
5,327 posts
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Sophster
Hey folks, would be up for the training run on the 22nd October. I'll keep an eye on this thread. 
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Sep 2011
4:35pm, 22 Sep 2011
80 posts
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M1nty
Great, Sophster - just a leg loosener.
Lintie, I don't even realise I'm doing it. A new party game is formulating: get your menfolk to recount their last ultra race without referring to any numbers, at all. I'd say it's impossible.
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Sep 2011
5:45pm, 22 Sep 2011
2,787 posts
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mrs shanksi
lol M1nty what a great post! It certainly is a v special race.
We will almost definitely join you in Nov for a jaunt somewhere, can't manage Oct. Although my babysitters are moving house on 30th Nov so may be unwilling to take the sprogs over a weekend due to house-selling duties... Here's hoping they sell it quickly
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Sep 2011
5:48pm, 22 Sep 2011
11,087 posts
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Fenland Runner
This is the one race that could revert my status from ex-Ultra runner
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Sep 2011
6:01pm, 22 Sep 2011
1,612 posts
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Anna Bomb
just realised I'm off on the 22nd Oct now having swapped days round so will see what Flips up to
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