Juniper Green, Currie and Balerno Pram Race 8/06/07Portobello Runner Wins Prestige Event!
On the evening of Friday 8th June, John Pringle, a long serving runner with Portobello Running Club (who has never won anything!) scooped first prize in the keenly competed “Juniper Green, Currie & Balerno Pram Race”.
This annual event, which has a long history invites 2 adults in fancy dress, one pushing the other in a pram to race between 8 public houses, clubs etc starting at Juniper Green and finishing (uphill all the way) in Balerno. To add to the challenge, a half pint of beer must be consumed in each pub namely The Kinleith Arms, The Woodhall, The Riccarton Arms, The Pentland View, Currie Rugby Club, Balerno Bowling Club, The Grey Horse and finally, The Malleny Arms.
This year drew a good field with some 13 teams entering with a range of costumes ranging from babies, canoeists, doctors, ninja turtles and even Santa Claus.
A local Balerno pub, The Grey Horse, decided to scour the village to find someone with the required skill set to help them win the coveted trophy after many barren years. It was suggested to them (by quite a lot of people) that John might be their man and he was duly hunted down and signed up for the cause.
The rest, as they say, is history. Despite several of the other teams employing dirty tricks, John pushing the lovely Claire, a barmaid at the Grey Horse, skooshed it (as they say in racing and drinking circles).
Interviewed after the post victory party, John commented “I feel that I have finally discovered my true sport and I can tell you that I will be fighting all the way to have it recognised as an Olympic qualifying event!”
Report John Pringle
Photos Jackie Pringle
