NOTE; To compete in hill races in Scotland you need not be a member of any club, association or society, or pay anything other than a race entry fee. You can just go and do it. Hill racing in Scotland is an open sport. Without the support provided by Scotland’s running clubs, however, there would be no hill races to compete in.

Meanwhile

Carnethy Hill Runners is a running club for those who love to run in the hills and race in the hills. Its members need not have serious ambitions towards national or international standard competition. Many members are regular competitors; others prefer the non-competitive runs organised by the club; most do both! Membership is £5 per annum for seniors (see application form for juniors, unwaged etc.). The club has no more linkage to the national hill running governing body than Penicuik Bingo Club has. You will get a regular newsletter, social events, regular club races, a website, a valuable list of members with like interests with whom you can indulge your eccentricities, and other spin-off benefits too numerous to list. You can compete in all hill races except the scottishathletics championship race but if you enter a race which has a scottishathletics "permit" (and most currently do), you will have to pay an additional levy of £2 per race. You will be eligible to compete in the annual SHR championship series.

Why two clubs?

Members decided that they wanted to have the freedom not to have to pay scottishathletics’ fees if they so chose, whilst other members wanted the freedom to be eligible for national and international competition, grant aid etc. that membership of a scottishathletics-affiliated club makes available. By having two closely associated clubs (but quite separate for the purpose of linkage with the national governing body), we can satisfy most of our members most of the time, if not all of our members all of the time. Casual racers don’t have to pay extra fees for affiliation. More serious racers pay the extra and get the privileges of scottishathletics affiliation and membership.

The choice is yours. If you’re now more confused than when you started reading this, speak to a member of the committee.

Is that everything I need to know?

No! There is also Scottish Hill Runners, an independent Scotland-wide organisation providing services for hill runners in Scotland. SHR publishes regular newsletters and the only comprehensive calendar covering all Scottish Hill Races (including Highland Games races). It also holds a 4-from-6 race championship series open to all, and organises social events. Membership is £8 p.a. The objectives of Scottish Hill Runners are;
1. To foster and improve Scottish hill running in the widest sense.
2. To keep Scottish hill runners informed of issues relevant to the sport, by producing appropriate material.
3. To promote or organise (or assist others delivering) events for Scottish hill runners.
4. To consider, and if appropriate, act upon any other proposals from hillrunners in Scotland in respect of activities not catered for by other organisations.

For more details on Scottish Hill Runners, including the annual SHR championship series, go to their website or contact Secretary, Malcolm Patterson