| 01/09/07 Ben Nevis
Race 2007 - from David Armstrong |
A helicopter follows the
runners out
|
Ian Holmes and Ricky Lightfoot
lead the pack (photo: David Armstrong) |
The Club had a record number of starters in
this year’s
Ben Race, with many different personal challenges evident.
Susan Davis, Richard Cavner, Louise Wilkinson, Paul Appleby
and Graham Wilkinson were all first time Ben racers, Dave
Atkinson and Geoff Davis once more chasing the 2 hour target,
me ticking off another on my quest for 21 races …..
and Peter Reed returning with the target of beating the time
he set 10 years earlier on the day of Princess Diana’s
funeral …. when he was only a mere youngster in his
mid-forties!
The weather in most of the UK was that of a pleasant late
summer day. But not in Fort William! The cloud was below
2,000 feet, meaning more than half the race was in thick
mist, and the rain and wind joined in for good measure. At
least it was never too hot. The overall conditions were as
poor as I can recall in 13 races, with the descent in particular,
treacherously wet and slippery. There were many bloodied
legs on show and a few bloodied faces as testament to it.
Fortunately not from any of the NFR contingent.
Everyone completed the race unscathed, with the grimaces
turning to happy smiles at the finish, particularly from
all the first timers. Dave just beat his target, Geoff not
quite, and Peter, remarkably for the conditions, and having
left Morpeth at 4.30am that morning to drive for 5 hours
to Fort William, only 1 minute outside his time of 10 years
before. And Paul had the quiet satisfaction of not only completing
his first Ben race but also of finishing ahead of his Dad!
As any visitor to Fort William will know, everything there
revolves around Ben Nevis, and so we all felt compelled to
join in and celebrated the Ben Nevis Race into the night
by consuming rather too much Ben Nevis Ale at the Ben Nevis
Inn to the sounds of the famous Ben Nevis Ranters ceilidh
band. And then managed to walk (or was that stagger?) back
to the campsite in the dark at 1.00am. A damn good weekend
away.
results (FRA
website)
all photos courtesy
of David Armstrong
David Armstrong
|
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
