Devil's Beeftub 8/09/07
The natural bowl you see off the road to the left as you approach Moffat (from the North) is the Devil's Beeftub and to celebrate this geological spectacle folk have been racing up and down it since the early 1990's.
Often only a handful turn up for the race (as few as 6 in '94) and the maximum ever of 24 in both '93 and '96. This year entries were up to 86 - a massive pb - as a result of the race being a Scottish Hill Runners championship race. Which brought it to our attention. A long way to travel for a 2 mile race that's over in a fraction of the time it takes to get there...
However the sun came out and made the trip very worthwhile. After descending the winding road to Moffat we turned left up a small no-through-road hoping we were going the right way. Sure enough we ended up at a big red house, registered and made our way - a ten minute warm up jog - to the start. It was all very casual (entry £2 a bargain!) The off was delayed as latecomers made their way to the start at the bottom of the Beeftub. We were encouraged to start from over the barbed wire fence to save accidents and without any fuss set off up the steep side that climbs to a monument (about 6 minutes later) beside the road at the top of the hill.
From here we turned right and followed the rim of the enclosure clockwise over swampy/soft ground gradually climbing to the trig point at the top of the final hill (just under 20 mins) before a harem-scarem descent to the field where we started.
Pretty scenery just before MoffatI followed David Scott (of Ochils) down this last hill as he seemed to know what he was doing: having recce-ed the final descent earlier he realised it would be quicker going round the bracken rather than through it even if that meant veering off the straight line. (During this I was rattling so hard my velcro watch-strap undid.) We passed a couple of runners and he went on to win the v50 prize. I finished one place behind in 18th in 23.18, the shortest hill race I've ever done, but somehow one of the best. It certainly made a change from the fanfare and strict rules of the Ben last week and having been for a short run Friday night I knew I was in no shape for another arduous long race. So this was a breath of fresh air on one of the most pleasant days of this rather grey summer.
The Red House and row of cars of competitorsPrizes all had a beef theme - from Oxo cubes to jars of Bovril and packets of Beef Stock (as well as more traditional beer and wine.) Well done to Brian Marshall for taking 6 seconds off the record. And a lucky lady won a Fray Bentos Pie.
Well done to Willie Gibson of Carnethy for keeping this gem going. Highly recommended (especially in the weather we had today.) Home in time for a late lunch and afternoon wine in the sunshine. Terrific!
P 23.18
M 30.40Report pb
Results and photos to follow here (Carnethy Website)
NEW PHOTOS JUST IN
Thanks to Alan Young who took these great photos and passed them on to us...
At the start before the gun
The first climb
Off the last hill and a sprint to the finish
Race to the line.Thanks Alan Young
