cat takes just two hours to conquer ben nevis

Cat Macdonald on the descent

Taking only just over two hours,  Cat Macdonald was 2nd female finisher in the historic Ben Nevis race at the weekend.
 
One of the country’s oldest and certainly most iconic fell races, the race starts and finishes in Fort William before a circular route taking in the summit at 4409 feet, and is certainly both ‘daunting’ and ‘a very special event’ as the organisers quite rightly proclaim.
 
Representing Bellahouston Road Runners, with whom she is registered to run when across the border, a fine descent saw Cat get ahead of multiple winner Sharon Taylor towards the foot of the mountain to finish in a time of 2 hours 6 minutes 23 seconds, a matter of minutes behind York Knavesmire Harrier Rose Mather who was 1st female home in just under the two hour mark.
 
This year’s race was blessed by some balmy conditions for once and featured some 431 hardy finishers in all, and was won by remarkable Scotsman Finlay Wild of Lochaber AC for the 12th consecutive year with a time of 1:35:26.
 
Alistair also ran well, finishing 128th and 2nd Over 60 in 2:20:08, with Gary Mason finishing in 337th in 3:00:31 as one of the contingent of Northumberland Fell Runners who travelled to the event.
 
Weekend round-up 

Also taking on a big challenge was Claire Calverley, who completed the Bullock Smithy Hike Ultra 56.
 
With runners competing through the small hours of Saturday into Sunday in unseasonably warm conditions, it was no surprise to see so many drop-outs, with only 154 of the 280 who had entered completing.
 
Never one to shirk a challenge however, Claire was 20th overall, completing  in 14 hours 33 minutes and finishing as 3rd female home.
 
Closer to home, the Anne Allan Alnwick Trail Race charity run took place in the Ingram Valley on Saturday.
 
Run in memory of the much-missed Alnwick Harrier, the race raises funds for MND with this year the third running of the event.
 
Fittingly perhaps, Alnwick’s Nick Briggs was a winner in 32 minutes 41 seconds for the 9 kilometre event, with Lindsey Quinn 4th overall but, as last year, 1st female finisher (42:09). Club colleague Steve Haswell was 3rd in 38:58.
 
Also taking place at the weekend was the Essity Prudhoe Miners 5 Mile Race, organised by the somewhat modestly named local club Prudhoe Plodders.
 
Won by Sunderland Harrier Liam Taylor in 36 minutes 34 seconds, Morpeth’s Tom Prentice, now being guided by club president Jim Alder MBE, was 2nd in 26:38.