Beinn Sheann, Ben Shian, Beinh an t-Sidhein, however you spell it, there's a race up it on

Wednesday 23rd May 2018

Gaelic for 'Mountain of the Fairies', you still have to be tough to run it - this is the stocky little brother of the Stuc a' Chroin 5000.

What better way to spend an hour than a trip up Ben Sheann on a beautiful summers evening in June. You can do a full days work, drive to Strathyre, see some mates, run up Ben Sheann and down again, pick up your prize, sup a well deserved ale or vino, and head home. And ... it's still light, so if these light summers evenings are keeping you awake, this is the perfect antidote.

We've brought the race forward this year - to allow for less voracious midges so we're hoping it's a much more pleasant experience.

There's no online registration for this one, but you can download and fill in a form here

Finlay does it again!

On a day when conditions differed greatly between the relatively balmy base HQ and the near-zero visibility and below-zero windchill at altitude, Finlay Wild (Lochaber) was first to enter and first to exit those harsh conditions. Finlay came in 02:11:22, a full 10 minutes ahead of 2nd placed Jonathan Crickmore (HBT) 02:22:00 and Sam Alexander just behind on 02:23:22.

For the ladies, Stephanie Provan (Deeside) came in 1st with a time of 02:46:32, not far behind was 2nd Ruth Crewe (Westerlands) 02:51:10 and Helen Bonsor, Carnethy on 02:56:52 came 3rd.

Westerlands CCC

02:51:10

POS.	No.	Class	Name	Club	Time

	Male Winners (All Classes)
1	103	M	Finlay Wild	Lochaber AC	02:11:22
2	142	M	Jonathan Crickmore	HBT	02:22:00
3	158	M	Sam Alexander	Westerlands CCC	02:23:22

	Female Winners (All Classes)
1	81	F	Stephanie Provan	Deeside Runners	02:46:32
2	150	F	Ruth Crewe	Westerlands CCC	02:51:10
3	134	F	Helen Bonsor	Carnethy HRC	02:56:52

	Class M (Male Senior) (Age 18-39)
1	103	M	Finlay Wild	Lochaber AC	02:11:22
2	142	M	Jonathan Crickmore	HBT	02:22:00
3	158	M	Sam Alexander	Westerlands CCC	02:23:22

	Class F (Female Senior) (Age 18-39)
1	81	F	Stephanie Provan	Deeside Runners	02:46:32
2	150	F	Ruth Crewe	Westerlands CCC	02:51:10
3	134	F	Helen Bonsor	Carnethy HRC	02:56:52

	Class MV40 (MALE VET 40+) (Age 40 to 49)
1	173	MV40	Andrew MacRae	Inverness Harriers	02:37:51
2	52	MV40	David Kerr	Highland Hill Runners	02:39:16
3	157	MV40	Peter Mackie	Shettleston Harriers	02:40:22

	Class FV40 (FEMALE VET 40+) (Age 40 to 49)
1	19	FV40	Diana Challands	Carnethy HRC	03:23:23
2	18	FV40	Gillian Cairns	Penicuik Harriers	03:32:56
3	55	FV40	Catherine Litherland	Pennine Fell Runners	03:36:29

	Class MV50 (MALE VET 50+) (Age 50 to 59)
1	186	MV50	Manny Gorman	Westerlands CCC	02:38:40
2	35	MV50	David Gallie	Highland Hill Runners	02:42:48
3	140	MV50	Alan Smith	Deeside Runners	02:44:51

	Class FV50 (FEMALE VET 50+) (Age 50 to 59)
1	138	FV50	Andrea Priestley	Ochil Hill Runners	03:01:48
2	42	FV50	Michelle Hetherington	Carnethy HRC	03:17:40
3	46	FV50	Gill Irvine	Highland Hill Runners	03:19:23

	Class MV60 (MALE VET 60+) (Age 60 to 69)
1	161	MV60	Don Reid	Westerlands CCC	03:20:14
2	85	MV60	Clive Roberts	Fife AC	03:25:14
3	49	MV60	Philip Kammer	Deveron Harriers	03:34:41

A great day for all though and there were a few 1st timers who reported that they'd definitely be back.

No new records were set as the course was diverted due to the extended harsh winter and forestry operations and more of the race reverted temporarily to forest track than we would have liked.

Underfoot conditions were best described as 'slippy', 'treacherous', 'challenging' and perhaps various other descriptives, but however you called them, they slowed the pace down a bit and were responsible for a few withdrawals and injuries, although thankfully nothing serious. Due to the deteriorating conditions, we also had to bring forward the cut-off by 10-15 minutes which brought the race to a pre-mature end for a couple of frustrated runners. Always a difficult decision, the guys at the top have to call it the way they see it and safety of runners and marshals is always paramount.

RESULTS

Place

Race #

Time

Name

Club

5th May 2018 Results

Links to photos from the 2018 Stuc 5000 race ...

'2018' Prizewinners here (kind permission of Archie Scott)

'2018' as they finished here (kind permission of Archie Scott)

'2018' drone footage here (kind permission of Andrew Nixon)

'2018 Race Start' video here (kind permission of Archie Scott)

'2018 Post-start track' photos here (kind permission of Rosalind Heron)

'2018' Last 200m sprint here (kind permission of Rosalind Heron)

'2018' and some action on the hill here (kind permission of Andrew Poulter)

Last May, we hosted one of the UK National Championship AL races. That was the first year that we've hosted the British Championships on the new site, and on a fantastic day proved an excellent venue for this popular race.

The race is run annually on either the Saturday before May Day Bank Holiday Monday or the following Saturday. This year, the race is taking place on 5th May, 2018. (Online Registration now closed)

Called the Stuc a' Chroin 5000 because of its previously approximate total climb (in feet!), the race up until 2016 was 22k long and the course record was 1:59:22 for the males, and 2:22:47 for the females. The Stuc a' Chroin race had to undergo a route change because of building development work. These records will now stand as the permanent records due to the change in the course. New records were set in 2015 and stand at (Male) Hector Hains (HBT) 2:08:33, and (Female) Georgia Tindley (HBT) 02:37:48. Against our predictions, the new course came in faster than we thought, and the lure of the sub 2 hour record still excites.

We are supported by the many marshals, supporters and sponsors over the many years who have given their time and resources to help us. We welcome also our new marshals, supporters and sponsors. Many people have helped with the new sections and we're indebted to all who've sponsored and helped in whatever way they could. It's very much work in progress at the moment but we hope you like it. We will continue to try and improve the Start / Finish area and have already expanded it quite a bit in order to accommodate more supporters and a better infrastructure.

The new course is approximately a 5,000 feet ascent, or 1500 metres, and 20 km long. The changes are only to the start / finish location as well as the initial and last section of the race.

Organised under British Athletic Rules and classed as a Category A Long Hill race, and in 2009 and 2017, it was a British Championship event with over 300 runners and in 2013, hosted one of the Scottish Athletics Championships Long Hill races.

Usually blessed with good weather, its timing at the beginning of May does mean that there may be a variety of conditions - consult the forecast before your journey ... and don't forget the midge repellent as well as your mandatory equipment. There will be an up-to-date forecast of local conditions right up to the start on this web site in the Stop Press section opposite.

You can register here from here from the beginning of April. Pre-registration finishes on Wednesday, 2nd May at 20:00, but you will still be able to register in the Inn at Strathyre Hotel at the South end of the village from 10:30am - 12:00pm, admission fee is £10. Mandatory equipment will be checked at Registration. The race is well marked all the way to the top; (note that there may be a limited number of maps available); stewards and water stations are aplenty and well supported by the local community. Renowned for its plentiful supply of water, jelly babies and chocolate all along its 22k, rumours that some runners actually put on weight during the race are to be treated with caution!

Some of the runners comments from the last couple of years

".. privilege of enjoying a well-supported hill race in stunning scenery and immaculate weather ... Many thanks to the organisers of this epic hill run which was well-organised and well-supported. We will definitely be back next year."

"Brilliant views and perfect weather conditions for this (my favourite) hill race."

"Stuc is a great race and is really well supported, I think I managed to eat about a full bag of Jelly Babies and half a bag of Fruit Pastilles dished out by the numerous marshalls."

"Thanks for a great race , the marshalling and organisation was first class as usual and along with the weather made it a great day !"

"despite the torture of running this course again it's still one of my favourite events on the hill race calendar."

"the best organised and marshalled race I've been to" (we did check, they had been on more than one)

Note that as before (2017), the prize-giving will take place on the field. In case of inclement weather we are setting up an extra Marquee but as of Sunday 30th April, the weather is looking very favourable for next weekend.

There is The Village Shop where sandwiches and groceries can be bought. The Broch cafe and the Inn both serve good food. The Munro Hotel and Ben Sheann Hotels have also recently re-opened where they serve food and drink.

One word of warning though - traffic through this popular tourist area, and especially Callander (A84 Stirling - Strathyre ) can be very busy at the weekends so please allow an extra 30 - 60 minutes to pass through. There will be a significant amount of traffic from those attending the race as well, and traffic in Callander can be a nightmare. Other routes to Strathyre (avoiding Callander) are available.

The race starts at 1300 hrs.

We look forward to seeing you this year.

Competitors are reminded that the race is a category AL race and as such, the organisers expect all mandatory equipment to be carried. Competitors will be required to show mandatory equipment at registration, and checks will be made prior to the race. Non-compliant competitors will be invited to withdraw from the race. Registration was open until Friday 4th May at 17:00 now closed.

Route

The course was marked yesterday (Wednesday 2nd May 2018) and unfortunately the harsh and extended winter has forced us to make a few changes to the route and to restrict access to the start / finish area.

The start / finish has had new drainage put in but as a result, for this year only, we have had to cordon off parts of the start area as the weather has not allowed it any time to clear.

In addition, becasue of forestry operations and recent weather, one of the opening sections which starts up McAskills path and then up the old peat road is virtually impassable for long sections so we have had to divert onto the forest track.

Once passed these areas, the rest of the route is unchanged. There are some patches of snow from the ridge up to the Stuc, but the summit approach is clear of snow.

Check the Mountain Weather Forecast before arriving, and the forecast is reasonable, but come prepared for deteriorating weather anyway. Visibility is likely to be poor with low cloud on the summits and light to medium winds but .... it'll still be a fantastic day 🙂

Finlay Wild holding the Stuc Targe

In the 29th Stuc a' Chroin 5000 race, a UK Championship Race for the first time on the new course, 359 runners set off yesterday at 13:00 in our largest turnout ever. Conditions were the driest in years and everything pointed to a cracking day.

In the Male Seniors category, Finlay Wild of Lochaber came in first with an excellent time of 2:08:44, 3½ minutes ahead of Andrew Fallas of Carnethy (02:12:16) who in turn was 9 seconds ahead of Carl Bell from Keswick (02:12:25).

Findlay’s time was an excruciating 11 seconds outside of the new course record of 2:08:33.

In the Female category, Georgia Tindley from Hunters Bog Trotters came in at 02:37:48, (a fantastic new course record, congratulations Georgia), a tight 4 seconds ahead of Lou Roberts of Ambleside AC (02:37:42) and in third place was Kelli Roberts of Ambleside AC (02:43:10). Apologies for the mix-up with these results.

The prizewinners are as follows (Full set of results posted below)


Stuc a' Chroin
6th May 2017
PRIZE WINNERS

POS.	No.	Name	Club	Time
	MALE Under 23
1	95	Ted Ferguson	Borrowdale Fell Runners	02:16:10
2	148	Josh Jardine	Helm Hill Runners	02:16:46
3	260	Tom Saville	Dark Peak Fell Runners	02:28:00

	FEMALE Under 23
1	258	Hannah Russell	Helm Hill Runners	02:52:42

	MALE
1	321	Finlay Wild	Lochaber AC	02:08:44
2	94	Andrew Fallas	Carnethy HRC	02:12:16
3	26	Carl Bell	Keswick AC	02:12:25

	FEMALE
1	297	Georgia Tindley	Hunters Bog Trotters	02:37:48
2	249	Lou Roberts	Ambleside AC	02:37:52
3	232	Kelli Roberts	Ambleside AC	02:43:10

	MALE VET 40+
1	80	Morgan Donnelly	Borrowdale Fell Runners	02:18:16
2	140	Danny Hope	Horwich RMI Harriers	02:23:49
3	16	Ben Bardsley	Borrowdale Fell Runners	02:24:54

	FEMALE VET 40+
1	250	Lou Roberts	Ambleside AC	02:37:52
2	252	Shona Robertson	Shettleston Harriers	02:57:10
3	316	Clare Whitehead	Deeside Runners	02:58:12

	MALE VET 50+
1	70	Jim Davies	Borrowdale Fell Runners	02:26:01
2	251	Mark Roberts	Borrowdale Fell Runners	02:27:43
3	318	Stewart Whitlie	Carnethy HRC	02:30:03

	FEMALE VET 50+
1	151	Judith Jepson	Dark Peak Fell Runners	02:51:17
2	229	Andrea Priestley	Ochil Hill Runners	02:53:54
3	19	Elizabeth Batt	Dark Peak Fell Runners	03:06:57

	MALE VET 60+
1	231	William Procter	Helm Hill Runners	02:46:43
2	117	Ben Grant	Harrogate Harriers	02:54:20
3	68	Glen Davies	Mercia Fell Runners	03:00:32

	FEMALE VET 60+
1	205	Christine Menhennet	Westerlands	03:38:48
2	77	Wendy Dodds	Clayton le Moors Harriers	03:41:57
3	263	Jocelyn Scott	Fife AC	03:47:34

	VET 70+
1	369	Joe Holden	Lomond Hill Runners	03:58:00
2	76	Adrian Dixon	FRA	04:13:45

	LOCAL
1	394	Craig Harvey	Squadra Porcini	02:32:00

	PARISH WINNER ( B,L,S)
1	394	Craig Harvey	Squadra Porcini	02:32:00

	MEN'S TEAM WINNERS
1	148	Josh Jardine	Helm Hill Runners	02:16:46
2	2	Tom Addison	Helm Hill Runners	02:18:14
3	223	Adam Perry	Helm Hill Runners	02:22:43
4	3	Michael Ainsworth	Helm Hill Runners	02:23:23

	WOMANS TEAM WINNERS
1	250	Lou Roberts	Ambleside AC	02:37:52
2	249	Kelli Roberts	Ambleside AC	02:43:10
3	98	Michelle Foxwell	Ambleside AC	03:19:02

Stuc a' Chroin 6th May 2017

RESULTS

Place

Race #

Time

Name

Club

Category

321