Ben Chonzie hill race
Race Date: 19 April 2025
The first running of the club's new Ben Chonzie hill race was declared an outstanding success on Saturday, with over 200 runners taking on the tough challenge up and down our local Munro.
The race, devised by a small group of the club's enthusiastic hill runners, covers a distance of 21.4km with a stiff 1140m of ascent on mixed terrain, including deep peat hags, trackless grassy hills and Land Rover tracks on the lower sections of the course.
The race was won by Joseph Wright of Carnethy in a scarcely-believable 1.37.56, followed by Rob Sinclair in 1.39.06 and Dan Dry of Shettleston in 1.39.36. First woman was Kirsty Oldham in 1.58.39, followed by Laura Dozier of Carnethy in 2.05.26 and Catriona Gordon in 2.06.43. Age category winners were:
|
|
Club |
Category |
Time |
Overall position |
|
Eliot Sedman |
Carnethy |
M40 |
1.50.22 |
10 |
|
Mike Stewart |
Keith and District |
M50 |
2.02.34 |
27 |
|
Alan Smith |
Deeside Runners |
M60 |
2.10.06 |
41 |
|
Iain Thomson |
Strathearn Harriers |
M70 |
3.31.33 |
208 |
|
Naomi Dijkman |
Lauderdale Limpers |
F40 |
2.25.21 |
102 |
|
Shona Robertson |
Shettleston Harriers |
F50 |
2.11.27 |
49 |
|
Ruth Clark |
Strathearn Harriers |
F60 |
2.49.53 |
160 |
Strathearn Harriers had a strong representation with Ralph McInally and Jon Turnbull leading the way:
|
|
|
|
Time |
Overall position |
|
Ralph Mcinally |
|
M (5th) |
1:45:33 |
5 |
|
Jonathan Turnbull |
|
M40 (2nd) |
1:50:40 |
11 |
|
Jonathon Marks |
|
M (15th) |
1:54:52 |
17 |
|
Harrison Cunnah |
|
M(17th) |
1.55.26 |
19 |
|
Graeme Warren |
|
M40 (5th) |
2:01:00 |
24 |
|
James Robinson |
|
M (24th) |
2:08:40 |
38 |
|
Nick Gough |
|
M40 (9th) |
2:10:29 |
42 |
|
Thomas Bissett |
|
M (28th) |
2:11:17 |
46 |
|
Patrick Mckinally |
|
M (45th) |
2:20:24 |
83 |
|
Mattias Schøler Field |
Early |
M (3rd) |
2:43:48 |
152 |
|
Ruth Clark |
Early |
F60 (1st) |
2:49:53 |
160 |
|
Monica Thomson |
Early |
F40 (2nd) |
2:50:04 |
161 |
|
Grant Kennedy |
Early |
M40 (2nd) |
2:51:15 |
164 |
|
Ross McNaughton |
Early |
M40 (3rd) |
2:51:41 |
166 |
|
Anna Hammond |
Early |
F50 (4th) |
3:01:26 |
185 |
|
Gillian Dowse |
Early |
F40 (5th) |
3:17:56 |
204 |
|
Iain Thomson |
Early |
M70 (1st) |
3:31:33 |
208 |
Proceeds from the race will be donated to Scottish Athletics to be ring-fenced to support junior hill running in Scotland. More specifically, it is planned for the first time to send official Scotland U20 teams to the Trofeo Vanoni relay (3 per team for men, 2 for women) in October. The rest will be used to support the junior league, taster days and training sessions and travel/transport costs to events. See the Scottish Junior Hill Running FB page for more on their activities.
As is always the case with Harriers events, runners and supporters were treated to outstanding post-race catering. The organising committee are grateful to all those who gave up their time to support and act as marshals up and down the hill, and are particularly grateful to the volunteers from Tayside Mountain Rescue for their assistance. Fortunately, they were not called upon in their Mountain Rescue capacity.
Photographers were out in force up and down the course.