The Mighty Deerstalker 2014!

Well done to Mike TELFER who wore the Harriers vest to victory in last weekends Mighty Deerstalker race in Scotland! Here’s a short report by Mike:

“On Saturday we once again made our annual pilgrimage to Innerleithen for ‘The Mighty Deerstalker’. This year we opted for the shorter ‘5k’ daytime course hoping it might allow a bit more time afterwards for eating and drinking!

Needless to say although a little shorter than the 10k it still measures nearly six miles and has its fair share of big climbs, descents, river crossings, bogs, tunnels and obstacles!

Everyone charged off from the start line with their usual ferocity then over the hay bales and off to the first bog crossing. I felt reasonably comfortable at this stage but dismissed such irrational thoughts and attributed these to the two packets of oat cakes I’d eaten before the race.

However having survived the first bog and emerged in second place at the foot of the ‘big climb’ a decision had to be made. Was I to shed my now soaking kilt and leg it as fast as I could up the hill or honour my Scottish ancestry and preserve my modesty?? Needless to say the now ‘two stone’ soaking kilt got binned and the race to the top of the hill began! Fortunately this deep rooted Englishman had observed his nations tradition and was wearing underwear!

Fifteen minutes of climbing and obstacles later I was at the top and in the lead. I realised a flat out down hill was now required to stand any chance of preserving this rare moment and making the most of this lifetime opportunity to win something with more than two entrants! Lack of any decent protective clothing below waist level made the inevitable ‘tumbles’ on the descent a bit painful but I reached the bottom in one piece and still in first place.

The fast flat 2-3k  to the finish is interspersed with a couple of river crossings and a water ‘tunnel’ under the road. I was hoping these would be enough to slow the faster looking ‘young’ people who were probably more than capable of reeling me in over the last mile or so!

Fortunately the course seemed to suit my ‘one pace suits all’ style and nobody seemed to be catching me, the final run back to Traquair House could even be described as pleasant.  I avoided falling off the final ‘slippery ramp’ in the finishing arena and crossed the finishing line in first place, thank goodness I remembered to put on my Alnwick vest!!!

The other members of the elite Lesbury running team weren’t far behind. Gareth being the only other Harrier ran a great race and vowed to return next year and win his category when he qualifies to run as an ‘old stag’!”

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