| Kings Buildings 4 mile handicap |
Run by Alex Jackson
and Bill Byers on the last Thursday of
every month. It has been running since 1983 and is still popular for those who want a 20 - 30 min hard lunchtime run. Starts at Kings Buildings
at 1pm, be there 10 minutes early. The
Route is a clockwise circuit of Kings
Buildings and Blackford Hill running
through the Hermitage.
All results since 1983 are on this web page, where there is also a search engine to find fastest times, indiviual people etc. |
|
| Arthur's Seat Lunchtime Handicap |
The handicap is once a month (see next paragraph), but every
Monday at 12:30 a group of intrepid
office workers take time away from
their desks to explore the hidden depths
of Holyrood Park. This interim return
to sanity see’s
them winding their way around the tracks
and pathways over Arthurs Seat, Salisbury
Crags, Whinny Hill, Dunsapie Hill and
a multitude of points in between. There
is no fixed route, there is no fixed
run time and there is no fixed pace;
just a wee chance to escape the drudgery
of the 9 to 5.
It’s so good a chance to escape that
several runners turn up on other days of
the week (there’s often a Thursday
run and a harder paced run on Wednesdays)
often prompted by a quick email. To join in the normal
run just turn up at 12.30. We meet at
the foot of the Radical road opposite
Holyrood Palace car park.
However, once a month
(approximately) we get a bit more competitive
and hold a handicap
race around the
7 tops (which doubles as the ‘default route’ most
Mondays).
Starting from the foot of the Radical
Road the actual route is effectively
up to yourself; however you have to reach
each of the 7 peaks (in either a clockwise
or anticlockwise manner depending on
what mood the handicappers are in).
|
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
|
Salisbury
Crags
Arthurs
Seat trig point
Round
grassy lump on Nether Hill overlooking
Pollock Halls
Rocky
top on Crow Hill
Dunsapie
Whinny
Hill
Haggis
Knowe |
(575-113
= 462ft rise)
(822-375
= 447ft)
(775-740
= 35)
(775-730 = 45)
(460-375
= 85)
(580-350 = 230)
(210-175 = 35)
Total (1339) |
 |
The
current course record for this was set
on 6th June 2011 by Paul Faulkner in
25minutes and 49 seconds which took 13
seconds off Stewart Whitlie’s 26
minutes and 2 seconds (which had stood
for several years) whilst Lucy Colquhoun
currently holds the best ladies time
of 34 minutes. Don’t let these
times put you off – there are runners
who have a handicap of 55 minutes and
the regular Monday runs are held at a
much more leisurely pace, stopping to
regroup on the tops (and after some of
the descents).
One example route for the handicap is
shown below – taken from Derek’s
gps watch and overlaid on the OS map
and google map’s photo of the area.
The dotted line and the pink splodge
are alternative routes, but there are
so many variations that finding a new
line becomes part of the challenge. |
| Results
& reports: 2012 2011 |
| To
join the Handicap go
on the mailing list by contacting Bruce
or Michael queries@carnethy.com and
you will then get start times sent by
email, and also confirmation of normal
runs. |
 |
another map! |
| There
are countless choices between the crags
and the high point – the route
above goes straight up the Gutted Haddie,
and is not recommended for faint hearts – there
is a much more runnable route that contours
Northwards round the West side of the
hill and follows the main tourist track
and there are other, quicker routes that
you’ll discover over time. |
|
| Kings Buildings 4 mile Hill Race - not
currently running |
Started by Ronnie
Brown and now run by Willie Gibson and
Win Rampen on the second Thursday of
every month.
The "Hill Handicap" happens on the second
Thursday of each month at 12:50. Participants meet
in the changing room of the King's Buildings. House
10 minutes beforehand.
Course description (4.3 miles 290 metres climb)
The course
is 4.3 miles and is largely flexible
with only three mandatory way-points
in the first half. The start is at
the phone box at Entrance 2.
The Race proceeds down Blackford Avenue to the entrance
of the park at Blackford Pond. Any route is allowed
to the trig point at the top of Blackford Hill.
Then proceed to the top of Braid Hill, again by the
route of your choice. Some prefer the wet crossing
across Braid burn while others take the bridge, your
decision. There are a lot of options on this leg which
are worth scouting out From Braid trig turn left, for
home, and proceed along the bridal path, cutting off
in front of the communication tower and then back onto
the track. Follow it down to Braid Hills Road, crossing
over into Liberton Tower Farm. Take the farm track
down through the farm steading to Liberton Brae. Now
finish along the road by running up Mayfield Rd. to
the traffic light, turning left and sprinting along
West Mains Rd. The finish is the tree on the near side
of Entrance 2. |
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