Kaim Hill Race 2025
Just two harriers managed to travel down to Fairlie for Kaim Hill Race. Weather conditions were horrendous before the race with heavy rainfall. This meant that participants had to carry full safety equipment, unusually as it normally takes place in glorious sunshine. Owen Atkinson, on his birthday, and Micky Dunn, after his recent HYROX success,met at the village church for registration then ran slowly up to the start line regretting their decision to enter. However, the rain stopped just before the race started and the mood lifted. Due to the poor conditions kit had to be carried so backpacks and bum bags were mandatory. 108 runners took to the start line with a big representation from Westies. There is a short section of tarmac before heading up the Fairlie Glen, a scenic narrow winding trail with lots of tree roots and uneven path underfoot to keep you alert. After reaching the kissing gate at the top of the glen there’s a tricky burn crossing to contend with, before a climb up a steep and very muddy bank gains you access to the open hillside covered with rough heather and grassy tussocks. A slightly different route this year follows a quad bike track on the summit plateau in an anti-clockwise direction to the cairn. At the turn the descent takes you down through another bog and back down the same route to the welcoming finishing line. Caution required on the descent down through the glen due to the tree roots and rocks. A few epic falls on the way down on the muddy path meant that both Owen and Micky had a few cuts and bruises. Micky made sure his teeth were screwed in tight so there was no need to go searching for any false teeth this year!
