Islay Half Marathon 04/08/07
The famous round church (no corner for the devil) at the top of the street behind the lads.Whisky whisky everywhere, but not a drop to drink....
Gerry, a whole cluster of other Scullions and I made the long trip to Bowmore. A 5 am start to catch the 9:45 Friday ferry, an afternoon finding out where Ardbeg, Lagavulin, Laphroig etc etc come from, and an evening struggling to put up a tent in continual rain and wind - cooking inside the tent being the only option - were not great preparation on my part. Camping's much easier when all you have to do is stand around looking helpless and an army of other porties do everything for you....
The race is a single loop east and largely south of Bowmore itself as far as the airport. It starts with a moderate hill for the first mile or so, a gentle incline up for a mile, a gentle incline down for a mile, three miles gently up, a mile steeply down, three miles gently up, a mile less gently up and finishes steeply down. That might seem more up than down, but that's what it felt like! The two three mile stretches are long straight roads that seem to go on forever in front of you. Changing was basic - but it's hard to fault a race with free whisky at the post race nosh-up, where the food otherwise matched the high standards set elsewhere in the Islands.
I started off towards the back of the field having driven the course and knowing about the long first hill, aiming at roughly 7:30 a mile, or 8 miles in the first hour. Two slow up hill miles and a very fast downhill one put me right on time by mile 3, and by then the 127 strong field had spread into a long single file as far as you could see - a long way on this course! At mile 3 we turned into the wind, and I tried and failed to find someone to share the work - everyone I hid behind seemed to want to stop! It was a long slow slog up to the top and the turn just after mile 6 by when I was behind schedule, but not too bothered as going forwards through the field. Turning to run down to the coast road I suddenly found how much work I'd been doing - with the pace picking up over a minute a mile as first we went down, and then the wind was behind us for the way back. I'd picked out Finlay Dowell as a target early on - in part because he finished just in front of me in the Heb 3, but mainly cos he's tall and runs in bright red, so is easy to see. He was only about 50 yrds ahead at the turn onto the main road, and I caught him up at the 8.5 mile mark. I tried a little spurt to kill him off, but he tucked in and kept on my shoulder for two 7:10 miles before I slowed up and he went past. I know if I get to 10 miles in 1:16 I'm on for what for me is a good time, and racing Finlay got me there in 1:13 something. I followed him up a few places for the rest of the race, and almost got him back on the last significant uphill, but these tall blokes are irritatingly quick downhill, and he finished three seconds ahead. Still, my second fastest half so far - so racing someone as well as the watch clearly helps. The wind had also given me a negative split, over two minutes quicker on the second half.
I wish I could write about Gerry's race - clearly a blinder as he came home 1st Vet and 5th overall - but I never saw him after the start, even on those long long straights! Ben's old Heb 3 rival Terry Coyle won in 1:19. The prize giving was very generous (though not generous enough to give a prize for 26th alas), and I stayed too long clapping and missed the 3.30 ferry at Port Askaig. Got the last one home from Port Ellen to get back to Edinburgh just before midnight. A long long weekend - but a good sign that training for Loch Ness is going well.Report Richard Dennis
Gerry Scullion 1:23:22
Richard Dennis 1:36:47
Gerry's report
Have to say that we were lucky with the weather on the day, no rain and an acceptable wind to test us on the way out. The route was about 6 miles out, then turn onto another road for about another mile, then back along a straight road. Overall a testing but decent course. It was my first half marathon since Alloa and also a good test for me after a disappointing performance at Musselburgh.
I was aware from the Heb 3 group that Terry Coyle was a likely contender as winner and so it turned out to be. I let him and a couple of other guys go during the first mile, not holding back but just trying to pace myself given a lack of recent long training runs/ races. I stuck beside 4 or 5 runners until around the third mile. It was quite a tough start as we appeared to be going uphill for much of it and into a wind. I was in 7th position after 3 miles and close to someone who looked like an HBT runner, though I didn't recognise him and it may only have been chance he was wearing a brown vest. I passed him and then headed for the next runner. I wouldn't say I felt too comfortable and wasn't sure my legs would last the course given I haven't run 13 miles (even in training) since Alloa - I have walked 54 miles though, and in 1 day!
I covered the first 6 miles in around 38 mins, not my best but happy with it and turning into the 6 mile home straight focussed on runner in position 5. He was roughly 25 secs in front of me, but I felt a possible catch. Onwards we went, and my number detached from me (drink spillage ensured it weakened and eventually parted from my vest). I was closing on the chap but not too quickly. Around 15 seconds behind by mile 10. Still I was confident. Mile 12 was quite a test, with a fair uphill struggle though not in the Barra category. During this mile the guy in front stopped to walk, yippee! I went by him and offered him some (hopefully) consolling words before passing him. I heard him begin running again but to no avail. The last half mile was a nice downward stretch, the commentator noticing I had no number asked me to shout my number and I did but he didn't pick it up until I finished and then I heard my name.
I was pleased with my run, even more pleased with the prizes, a full bottle of Ardbeg Single Malt for 1st vet, despite 2 guys beating me who were older (super vets), plus some trohies.
It was nice to catch Richard both before and after, though briefly as he was trying to catch the mid afternoon ferry.
So all in all an enjoyable trip. Two sisters Marie and Louise, plus Marie's husband Jack and their son Chris all taking part - a really family occasion. Pity about the heavy rain on Friday and deluge on Sunday - still the locals said they'd had a good summer - clearly their glass is half full.Report Gerry Scullion
