Each year at the beginning of August, the Abernethy Highland Games brings us a fantastic local road race with a long history. This year, Matt Berry participated for the Cairngorm Runners.
Abernethy Highland Games is my local games and takes place each year in August. With all the traditional Games events taking place around the arena the Road Race gets off to the sound of pipes in the background, contrasting with the power of the heavies and hopefully with some of the grace exhibited by the dancers.
The race starts with a triple lap of the track before heading up the Dell Road and into the RSPB Abernethy Reserve, shout out to the staff of the reserve who very kindly allow the race to take place and also marshal for the runners. Once the route finishes it's climb at the access track to Forest Lodge it turns right back down to the Tulloch Loop which is completed and returns back to the Games Field along the road from Loch Garten, finishing nicely along a small section of Speyside Way.
The race also features an intriguing race within a race, the one for Local Residents of which this year there were 12 out of the 81 strong field. CR Trivia, Malcolm Hinsley won the local race most recently in 2022, while Alan Raich & Jenny Aungier (2019), Alan Raich (2016), Terrence Forrest (2013), Alan Raich (2011), while in 2009 CR took the team prize! There are almost certainly more fantastic CR acomplishments in this race, but I could only access the archive back to 2007.
My race went fairly well, it was my first time entering the event and my main concern was not getting caught up at the start and going out too hot, something that is a habit of mine when I get excited. Lapping the games field 3 times to start the event with a loud crowd certainly tested me and I did have some concerned looks at my watch heading up the hill through the woods, that being said I felt great and knew there was a long descent coming back down to the road after the gate. Once we were on tarmac (yes, I promise this is a road race) I settled in with a group of 3 or four that were running at roughly the same pace. We swapped positions a few times around the Tulloch loop, dropping one or two at the aid station near Tulloch Moor. There's an undulating section of this run on the road that links the Osprey Centre junction and Nethybridge that feels like it's never going to end.
Thankfully I've run this before and was able to hold a fairly useful pace. At the road crossing for the Speyside Way I decided that it was time for an all or nothing kick to try and get away from my little group before the finish. All the way through the woods I was praying for the bridge back to the Games Field to reappear and when it did you're rewarded with a "hero finish" along the back straight of the track to the line. A finishing time of 1:16.24 was good for 29th out of 81 and second place amongst the local runners, coming in second to my FC Abernethy team mate Jack Ward. Overall I was delighted to be racing again and a 4:34 PB over ten miles was the cherry on top.
As one of the local highland games for many of us there's no excuse not to take part. We are unbelievably lucky to live in such an incredible area and to race through the pine forest is a pleasure you just don't get anywhere else. This year I was the only CR participating but it has been popular amongst the club before and I hope it will be again in the future. With such a great history in both the area and the club it's really something that all the club should enter at least once, just for the experience!
As a bonus, the food cart serving chips and venison burgers is within 20 paces of the finish line, there is a photo of me with my burger, but I'm not sure you need to see it!