Marathon Hebrides Relay - "An Sgioba Sgonneil"

Gaelic for "slow fat bird running" perhaps?

Course map

I couldn’t help but be slightly suspicious when Iain Finlay handed me my race number. Whatever could “An Sgioba Sgoinneil” mean? Could it be a joke at my expense and be Gaelic for “slow runner” or “Fatty coming through”. Hmmm…. Iain assured me though that the loose translation was “Amazing Team”. I decided to believe him.

Leg one runner Iain Finlay

In the Hebrides the weather Gods rule. Basically anything can happen so having had some weeks of glorious sunshine on the mainland the weather Gods decided that enough was enough and we awoke to a grey overcast windy day. Note the bit about it being windy. Marathon runners, first leg relay runners and 2^nd leg relay runners gathered at Rodel to await the start of the race where completely randomly I bumped into Caroline who was cycling through the Hebrides. That actually seems to happen a lot, week by week I don’t see people who live just round the corner from me and then I bump into them on random Hebridean Islands. There were a few familiar faces doing the marathon such as the CAAC crew and ultra runner extraordinaire Jeni Rees Jenkins obviously using this little marathon race as a warm down from the Lakeland 100 mile race only two or three weeks previously.

The CAAC squad

The Stornoway Squad

Heb 3 legend Jim Bruce set the runners off on the marathon and the first leg of the relay which took the runners to Leverburgh and then back to Rodel. I had been a fairly last minute addition to this team having been all set to do the marathon until the realization hit me that my training had been a bit too curtailed by a knee injury to make that a practical option. Fortunately Martin had space in his team and I opted for the second leg of the marathon relay, a more realistic 9 miles.

Soon enough the leaders of the marathon came through with Norman, Euan, Lorn, Dean Gillian and Susan all high up in the field. In fact the CAAC race was looking like turning into a race within a race and at that stage I wouldn’t like to have placed a bet. Soon enough Iain came round the corner and I set off. 

Start line

My warm up on the route had confirmed my fears, the first couple of miles seemed to be basically uphill. And into the wind. There was nothing for it but to stick in while trying to find shelter behind any bigger runners I could find. I ran with a runner from Edinburgh for about 3 miles who was the perfect size to act as a wind break. 

Norman

Euan

Lorne

Gillian

Carolyn was the sweeper

Dean

Susan

Nick

Jeni

The course wound its way through the amazing rock strewn lunar landscape of the Isle of Harris, past the little settlements in the bays (past a house for sale in a stunning location – must check the property website later), alongside a loch towards the finish (for the relay runners not the marathon runners) in Leverburgh. The roads were shut to traffic which added to the feeling of silence and remoteness. And all time the ceaseless Hebridean wind made itself felt. Up ahead at times I thought I could spot Susan but I didn’t seem to make any head way towards catching her up. I did my best “damage limitation” for the team and hoped I hadn’t let too many other relay teams past me but think a few had got past unfortunately.

The start at Rodel

Eventually there was a wee downhill stretch past a fantastic house that was for sale (must check the property website for that one too) by a wee fishing loch and then I was in Leverburgh and it was a short run along the main road to the relay changeover at the village hall. Martin took over for the 11 mile “glory leg” to the end while I headed off for tea and home bakes and to cheer on the other teams and passing marathon runners. With one thing and another we got held up at the village hall and then there was very limited parking at Seilibost so we didn’t get to see the finish of the race on the sands so we hurried off to the campsite and threw the tent up before heading to Talla na mara for the delicious spread of food that was put on for the runners. 

Leg 2 -3 changeover

The slightly deteriorating weather meant that I opted for an afternoon of reading in the tent rather than my hoped for beach activities and Simon had already started making excuses for not going to the celidh before the occupants of the neighbouring campervan invited us in for an evening of gin and chat. Warm, dry and gin fueled, Simon by then had talked himself out of the celidh totally.

Horgabost campsite

Camping essentials

It was late and lashing with rain by the time we staggered back to the tent and as I opened the zip and felt the sleeping bag I got that sinking feeling. Everything was soaked. It was actually raining inside the tent. Instead of the trusty little tent that I usually use Simon in his wisdom had insisted on taking the bigger tent which, due to his reluctance ever to go camping, meant that it hadn’t been used for about 10 years. Extra lines and tent pegs meant that it was firmly secured though so it was going nowhere in the wind so I guess that was a plus. After a quick mop up of the worst of the water in the tent we hauled a spare tarpaulin over the soggy sleeping bags which for the most part worked to keep the rain off. If you think the duvet war is a hard fought battle then believe me it pales into insignificance with the tarpaulin-in-a-soaking-tent-war…. 

It was raining in the tent

Soaking sleeping bag

The clean up operation

At least I seemed to sleep well enough despite the strong wind and rain. On awaking though there seemed to be something wrong with my feet. Initially I couldn’t quite figure it out but slowly it downed on me that the bottom of my sleeping bag was in a pool of water and was soaking wet and my feet were just about numb. Oh the joys of camping. I suspect though we had a better night that the owners of the tent that we found abandoned in the campsite skip the following morning!

We spent a lazy morning exploring the the Island and I had a better look at the race route than the previous  day before heading back to Stornoway to catch the ferry home. It transpired later that in the day that Martin must have had a stormer of a run to bring team “An Sgioba Sgoinneil” into third place.

This was the first edition of “Marathon Hebrides” in its current form after two Callanish marathons and a one off Harris marathon back in 2008 or 2009 and it was a great success. Willie and the team did a fantastic job with the complex logistics and I hope the race is on again next year. 

And, most importantly, Dean won the CAAC race!