Saturday, Sep 2 2000

4 Miles 2000ft Category AS

Starts at

From Braemar

This is probably the hill race with the longest documented history in the world. A race was first run at Braemar in 1042ish. It was organised to help the Scottish King, Malcolm Canmore, to select a messenger.
The winner apparently turned up late but still managed to beat everyone. (It seems early celtic story tellers had about as much originality as Coutry and Western songsters)
The event is now very well attended with a great program of track and field events as well as piping and dancing.
The hill race is a fairly standard affair through wooded slopes and up to a local summit.
HM The Queen usually comes along to spectate so whole thing obviously has a lot social cachet. There are all sorts of curious bods with rudy complexions all got up in their best highland finery. I saw some hats that looked like a crash between one of Liberace's hats and a pheasant.
The whole day has a good carnival atmosphere that would probably interest visitors. If you are a visitor just please don't think that we are not also a modern Western democracy!

 Men's Record is 0:24:28 set by M Hawkins in 1984.

 Women's Record is set by in

  Contact details are A Mitchell,
10 Aitken Avenue, Queensgate, Kelty, Fife.,
KY4 0BE,
Tel 01383 830245