Hoka Highland Fling (53 Miles): The Fling that nearly didn't start!

Little lesson learned - set 2 alarms...waking up at 0532 for a race that starts at 0600 in a hotel 25 minutes away from the start leads to instant panic, hyperventilating and dry mouth, plus a lot of swearing! After driving like a rally driver down to Milngavie we managed to make it to the start line and my race began 12 minutes after the rest of the field, just as the timing mats were being picked up. Not an ideal start to the day, but surely after that debacle the only way was up!

Should have been in there somewhere! (Photo: Muriel Downie)

This was my 2nd time running the Hoka Highland Fling. Last year I ran it in a time of 10h44m, which was great, however my goals this year were to finish in the top 20 and/or finish under 9 hours. Training going into the race had been fantastic with a huge amount of time spent in the mountains which really helped develop strength and speed, particularly when it came to descents (always been a weakness!)

Milngavie to Tyndrum.

53.2 Miles, 5975ft Elevation.

Once I actually got going (at 0612) it felt very strange setting off with nobody else, almost felt as though I was on some sort of training run as I wound through Mugdock Park. Within the first mile and a half I started to catch up with people, and thus began the difficult task of squeezing past groups of up to 20 without knocking into anyone, or ending up in a boggy patch off the track. The most important thing was that I didn't go off too quickly, and in a way getting briefly held up by large groups calmed me down a little and allowed me to settle into a nice rhythm. I had set my Garmin Virtual Pacer for 10.10 min/mile which would be the pace required for 9 hours, so ticking along the very runnable section to Drymen at a very comfortable pace allowed me to get ahead of schedule. I passed a few familiar faces, and arrived in Drymen (after a bit of bog-hurdling) in a shade over 1h40m (66th) grabbing a refill of a 500ml bottle to get me to Balmaha.

Photo: Stuart McFarlane.

After not getting a proper breakfast my stomach felt a little jippy so after a quick stop behind a tree in the forest after Drymen I felt great and ready to hit Conic Hill. One of the real high points of last year's race was the crystal clear view over Loch Lomond from the top of the hill, but with it being such a dull start this year, it was a very pleasant surprise to drop out of the mist and see the Loch (and essentially the route) unveiled before us. With out going too crazy on the descent as it was slippery and I value my knees I made it into Balmaha in about 2h55m to pick up my first drop-bag. Nutrition had really let me down in Wicklow, probably from relying too much on super sweet gels and chews, so it was nice to mix things up and have fresh fruit, some malt loaf etc, along with the usual gels.

Into the mist (Photo: Graeme Hewitson)

Out of the mist (Photo: Paul Daly)

Photo: Ronnie Cairns

I really enjoy the section from Balmaha to Rowardennan as it is a good mixture of ups and downs and trails that I was able to make up more time. The aim had been to reach the halfway point in 4 hours which was achieved, and I arrived into the 2nd checkpoint at Rowardennan, in 4h01m (40th) where there was a great atmosphere again. I was in and out in less than 2 minutes taking on board more food and drink, roughly 30 minutes ahead of schedule but fully aware I would be losing time as the trails got more technical for the next 14 or so miles. Leaving the checkpoint I felt very strong, however my hip flexors were feeling a little twingy so I really focused on keeping a good technique - and cursed my lack of core strength!

Working through the technical section to Inversnaid was really enjoyable and it was a major mental boost to tick off miles under pace. I arrived there in about 5h15m, picking up more food, plus ever-welcome flat Coke and Hula-Hoops (nothing wrong with licking salt off one's hands at that stage of the day!), I definitely felt that I was getting stronger as the day went on and I was still able to reel in runners in front of me. More technical trails and scrambling up, down and over rocks and roots left me losing a little bit of time, but at mile 40 I knew I could run the final 13 miles in 2h20m to make 9 hours - seemed very doable!

Again it was a big boost to arrive into Beinglas Farm (6h35m, 22nd) and receive the welcome from marshals, and Iain who had arrived there by a combination of bike and boat! More Coke, Hula-Hoops and gels and I was on my way. Still feeling strong I found myself walking up the real steep inclines but managing to push on any runnable sections. Making my way through 'cow-poo alley' meant I had to remain sharp (caffeine gels may have helped here) as one slip would have resulted in a sticky, smelly mess. A very welcome glass of water from a father/daughter cheering checkpoint helped along this section as the route climbed to mile 48.

Negotiating 'cow-poo alley'. Photo: James Day

After climbing to the high point (1120 feet) of the race at mile 48 the fire road descent back to the main road began - it was at this stage last year that my quads were really suffering and I even considered walking down backwards. However, this year my legs felt great! I was able to run on, without going too crazy - I thought I was going great guns until I got passed by a relay runner who was really hitting the descent. At mile 50, upon crossing the road, the course leveled out and I kept in touch with the relay runner knocking off a few 9 min/miles.

Coming in towards the finish I was hitting a very high pace (for being 52.5 miles in) as I passed the relay runner, and as always was hit with a massive wave of emotion passing the fantastic piper just round the corner from the finish. I was informed just before approaching the By The Way Hostel that I was top 20, although I knew this was based on gun time, so the chances were I would be a few positions higher based on chip time. Crossing the finish line in exactly 8h33m I even managed somewhat of a fist pump while feeling hugely relieved that both goals had been achieved. I was 20th across the line, but based on chip time I managed to finish in 13th position, such a good result! Looking at the splits it turned out I had the 4th fastest split from Beinglas, and one of 5 to go under 2 hours.

Happier than I look, serious! (Photo: Ryan Maxwell/NI Running)

So, after the shambles of the start, what a relief it was to take more than 2 hours off last year's time. Any long run is filled with peaks and troughs, however a hard winter of training, with plenty of time cultivating the beard in the Mournes, certainly paid off as I don't think I had any real low points mentally, and all the nutrition came together. Perhaps having such a terrible and traumatic start to the day meant I was able to relax and enjoy the rest of the day! A massage and soup were just reward for such a great day, and it was great to finish 3rd fastest of the NI contingent (on chip time anyway). Huge congratulations to Justin Maxwell who finished 2nd, an incredible run. The Fling is such an enjoyable and challenging race in a beautiful part of the world, and of course thanks must go to race director John Duncan, the amazing marshals who give up their time to help us through the day, and also all the other runners who possess such a wonderful attitude and joie de vivre that make the day what it is! I will definitely be back next year all being well, with a top 10 finish in mind!

Top 3 Male:

Sondre Amdahl - 7h29m

Justin Maxwell - 7h46m

Neil MacNicol - 7h49m

Top 3 Female:

Joasia Zakrzewski - 8h30m

Sally Fawcett - 8h38m

Elaine Omand - 8h49m

Kit Used:

Shoes - Salomon S-Lab XT 6

Pack - Ultraspire Spry Vest

Top - Salomon Exo S-Lab Tee

Shorts - Ronhill Twin Trail Shorts

So far the recovery process has been good - I have done 3 runs, including 2 summits of Slieve Donard. Looking forward to heading to London on Saturday to meet the Trail Running Team supported by Berghaus & Torq! Need to try and carry this momentum into the 26 Extreme Mourne Way Ultra (52 Miles) in 5 weeks time, can't wait!