club races
club races
Westerlands are, and have been, responsible for organising some popular races including the famous Ben Lomond hill race and the now-defunct Glengoyne Gallop. Check out all our races below.
In The Dark Handicap
Race type: club members only
Distance: 3.5 miles
Height: negligible
Starting time: 7.00pm
This short sharp handicap race was first run in 1987 and was devised and instigated by the Wummin of the club.
Starting in the Square at Clachan of Campsie the route climbs up through what once was a rough forested area but is now a beautifully cultivated walker-friendly path to the car park at the top. After crossing the road the route continues up the hill until reaching the old stone hut. At that point it's all downhill.
Back to the road, down through the edge of Lennoxtown and back along to the start. It is about 3½ miles and perhaps about 300 feet ascent. The downhill section is particularly enjoyable; eyeballs out I believe is the descriptive term ... and all in the dark!
Criffel
Race type: open race
Distance: 7 miles
Height: 1800ft
Starting time: 1.00pm
Further information at Scottish Hill Runners
Criffel Hill Race was started over 20 years ago. It's origins are unknown, but like most hill races it was there and some lunatics thought it shouldn't go unmolested.
The race was taken over as a Westies production around six years ago and normally gets around 40-50 runners. 2001 was an exception as it was again a British Championship and had over 250 runners.
The male reacord by Mark Croasdale was set by the last time it was a British Championship in the mid-90's. Angela Mudges's record was set in the 2001 race. The lady was well up the field!
The course is a mixture of steep boggy slog, some delightful ridge running (in good weather), with a three quarter mile stretch on road to start and finish. Well... no one said it was easy.
The course tends to be flagged for the serious bit at the top, but getting lost is an easy option, especially in the heat of the moment or when the "red" mist comes down. Think when you turn round the cairn.
Whangie Whizz
Race type: open race
Distance: 4 miles
Height: 800ft
Starting time: 7.30pm
Further information at Scottish Hill Runners
The origins of this race stem from the sadly departed Grudge Matches held between Westerlands and Hunters Bog Trotters.
The route begins on the hill next to Queens View car park and follows the tourist path up to the Whangie. You continue down to the road before looping back up and over Auchineden Hill and finishing back at the start.
Its never too steep or boggy or rough enough to justify walking although if you want you can stop and appreciate the fine views over towards Loch Lomond. At 4 miles and 800 feet its a very popular wee mid-week race.
Ben Lomond
Race type: open race
Distance: 9 miles
Height: 3192ft
Starting time: 1.00pm
Further information at Scottish Hill Runners
This great race is not a Westerlands invention, for one thing it is far too straightforward; no need for map, compass, primus stove, tent or inflatable ferry. The standard press handout issued to the world's press each year carries the detailed description:
Go! Puff, pech, puff, pech, puff, pech round the top ... whee! Puff, pech, puff, pech ... bloody road ... wibbly wobbly legs. The pub, thank god! Stop, keel over.
Covering 9 miles and 3192 feet Ben Lomond is one of the oldest races in the calendar. It used to be run by Dumbarton AAC who did a sterling job in providing a changing marquee, meals etc. All the effort involved in preparing and running this sort of race became a bit much for the organisers and they started to ask for assistance from other clubs including the renowned Westerlands CCC. However, even with the assistance of others the organisers could not maintain their interest. As a result, the race folded and was not held in May of 1995.
After much shilly-shallying we decided to pick up the pieces and reintroduce the race on a trial basis in September of that year, on a much more low key basis than previously, with minimalist prize, no changing, no meal etc. This was reasonably successful, so we have continued in that vein, but back to the original May date. The race is much more hassle than any of the others as it is pre-entry only, with all the up-front bother that entails in sending out entry forms etc., much higher stewarding needs and liaison with the National Trust blah-blah-blah, but a classic race like this does not deserve to fade away into ignominy.
Cort-ma Law
Race type: open race
Type: Open race
Distance: 6miles
Height: 1700ft
Starting time: 7.30pm
Further information at Scottish Hill Runners
The Cort-ma Law race was first run in 1985. It is commonly held on the last Wednesday evening of June and proves rather popular with an average showing of 50 runners.
At 5 miles and 1400 feet it is a good tough workout. The course follows a fairly clear path although the bogs remain a deep and wet proposition.
The most memorable event related to this race has nothing to do with Mark Rigby running towards the wrong hill, or Isabel Coombs being carried off the hill by some rather excited ambulance men, but the now infamous Map and Compass War Dance performed by the original race organiser Big Al Campbell one year. The dance turned into an annual event that attracted large numbers in its own right. Sadly Big Al no longer organises the race so the spectacle of will remain only in the memory of those who witnessed it. Shame!
Croftamie
Race type: club members only
Distance: 8 miles
Height: flat
Starting time: 7.30pm
The Croftamie Handicap is the club's summer Handicap race, commonly run around about the last week of August or the first week of September. Check the latest runs nearer the time.
Conservatively judged to be 8 miles in length, it starts at the junction of the A809 and B834 and follows a farm track for about 2½ miles before hitting some quiet farm roads. The course meanders round a large loop to the finish in the village of Croftamie. Really tough wee bugger of a race!
Two Breweries
Race type: open race
Distance: 18 miles
Height: 4900ft
Starting time: 12.00pm
Further information at Scottish Hill Runners
The Two Breweries hill race is held every year around about mid September. The race starts outside Traquair House brewery and finishes at the Broughton Brewery after eighteen miles and 4900 feet of climbing.
Originally based upon an idea of Andy Curtiss', the race can be divided into 2 halves. The first being a real belter of climbs and descents over heathery Scottish border hills. The second half has less climbing and has a long fast section consisting of farm tracks and even a bit of road. However the last 2 miles climb and descend the substantial Trahenna Hill with little track; the effect is to wreck almost everyone! The fit runners whizz along the tracks of the second half and seem to never quite leave enough for the last climb, the unfit ones are wrecked anyway.
Xmas Handicap
Race type: club members only
Distance: 3 miles
Height: negligible
Starting time: 1.00pm
The Xmas Handicap is commonly held on the Saturday between Christmas and New Year. At roughly 3 miles and negligible ascent it is basically an excellent cross country thrash. Festive fun is top of the agenda!
Glengoyne Gallop (defunct)
Race type: defunct club race
With Westies running regularly in the Campsies on the route from the Distillery up Dumgoyne to Earls Seat and back down to the Distillery via Graham's Cairn it was suggested one night in the pub by Ian Struthers that it would be a good idea if the club organised a race over that route. It was decided that a short sharp up and down race on Dumgoyne would be an ideal route with little chance of losing people in poor weather and little needed in the way of stewarding and route marking.
Glengoyne Malt Whisky were very keen to sponsor us as well as letting us use their car park at the Distillery, so the event went ahead on a lovely sunny Wednesday evening in 1987 The race was a great success due to the location, the type of running (pretty brutal) and not least due to the liberality of the sponsors with their product and the barbecue they had set up at the end.
After a couple of years running on Wednesday evening the distillery asked if we could change to the weekend so that they could try and get more publicity for themselves as a result of the race. We did this and extended the race round the bottom field (to minimise crowding at the hill stile) and the race continued to be popular. Particularly in the year when it was designated a Championship Race. It was the most publicised event we have run due to Glengoyne's sponsorship, with the result that we had a good few non-runners taking part, including a blind man and his dog! We even had somebody lost in good conditions on a fully marked course with stewards along the route, just as well they hadn't had to find Earls Seat and Graham's Cairn as well.
Unfortunately in 1996 the landowner stated that after that year there would be no more permission forthcoming due to the erosion on the hill, although it is debatable whether this erosion is due more than a minimal extent to the race, it is true that the erosion has greatly increased since the early days of the race. As a result 1996 was the last year of what had been a popular and enjoyable event.
Twelve Trig Trog (defunct)
Race type: defunct club race
The 12 Trig Trog was a mammoth two day race organised by Manny Gorman and first run in 1996. Unfortunately organising the race while living in Newtonmore proved extremely difficult so it was last held in 2000. It resembled a mountain marathon in the distance covered at 43 miles with 7100 feet ascent. Big Al Campbell competed in the first Trig Trog and wrote this in response:
An adequate description of this race cannot be given. It all seems nice and simple - none of this nasty carrying of tents in Mountain Marathon style. After taking in all the trig points in the Campsies and Kilsyth Hills on the Saturday, you had a civilised stop at a pub overnight then a wee wander round the nice low Fintry Hills on the Sunday,
HUH!
Let me tell you this boy! When God, on the first week of Creation, in his wisdom chose to give Scotland all those gifts of beautiful scenery, friendly natives, handsome men and pretty girls, good high mountains, fertile farmland, plentiful fish in the sea, the black diamonds, waving barley and the water of life, it is obvious that he did not stop balancing up all those good things just by giving us those awful neighbours. He also chose to give us a canker in the heart of the land, and called it the Fintry Hills. A little bit of Lucifer crept in, no doubt boiling up from Hell on those lava flows, creating 100 metre high bracken and 50 metre deep bogs. Every time, I think of that Sunday, my thought processes go all to, all to... all to blither, blither , blithr, blith, blit, bli, bI, b,b,b.
Anyway, this latest race in the calender is a cracker; with much potential for thoroughly sickening experienced runners in the future. A true Westies race!
Ardochrig (defunct)
Race type: defunct club race
Race type: defunct club race
Drew Turnbull organised this race for about 9 or 10 years and felt it had run it's course, so the last official running of the route was 2003.