Simonside Cairns

10th December 2006
Rothbury, Northumberland
11 miles, 1900ft
Results  |  John's Report
Travelled south across the border to Northumberland with Haddington-based fellow Englishman John Telfer. Luckily the weather was far better than the torrential rain and gales I left behind in Glasgow. Pottered round the Simonside Cairns race for the 6th year in a row. Felt OK for the first 200 metres, but then the first steep tarmac hill drained my legs of any life. Picked up later when we hit the forest tracks, and passed several folk, but they all passed me straight back as soon as we hit the steep heathery climb to Simonside.

Managed OK after that until the final long farm track, where I could only coast along in neutral waiting for the finish, and so had no answer when Dave Armstrong sauntered past with half a mile to go.

I finished 12th in 1:28:29, which was 9 seconds quicker than last year. Nick Swinburn of NFR won the race in a new record time of 1:14:34. This was 28 seconds faster than the previous record set by Morgan Donnelly in 2001. First lady was Rachel Vincent of Tynedale in 1:31:21.