This is a great route and great race; through the Cairngorms, from Braemar Police Station to Aviemore Police Station - 42km and 640m of climbing.
A leisurely 10am start and hassle-free registration is good, and was only a 2 minute drive from the campsite. A record entry this year, 200 runners but after a few drop-outs about 185 starters.
The plan was that KA and I would run this together, a new race for KA but, for me, my 3rd time. The route heads out of the village towards the Linn of Dee, about 2 or 3 miles on the road and then cuts right, across White Bridge, to Mar Lodge.
Soon after this a water station and then we get off road on good tracks which leads to Derry Lodge. The weather is good, breezy but high cloud and just the threat of a little drizzle. Marshalls at Derry Lodge kindly provide water and sweets and then we head in to the hills.
We take it steady, we are both not running at our best; today is about doing the distance, time and position are irrelevant. A few light showers blow through but not enough to need jackets and it gets breezy higher up.
It's good to get to the head of the pass, Aviemore looks a long way from here. There are still some big snow patches on the higher summits, this is a wild place and this is what attracts me to this area. It's all downhill from here, rough for a couple of miles and then it gets easier as we get to the forest.
Really pleasant running through the woods and then the last few miles is on the road. We finish well, picking up the pace through the woods and on the road, over-taking rather than being over-taken.
Food and drink is very welcome and then the long journey home begins.
Results and details:
http://www.deesiderunners.com/?page_id=27
Photos (third set of photos):
http://www.action-heroes.co.uk/galleries2/LairigGhru13/index.html
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