For me, race meetings feel a bit different now since the little boy came along. 5:20am wake up call and a soft play for an hour from 10:15 to 11:15 pre-race.

It’s a new normal for sure.

As we’re all gathered at 11:55 for the pre-race meeting and the team photo, the 31 bus showed up and had to rearrange all plans. So it wasn’t until 12:02 when we were out and away. The first kilometer is working uphill making it a hard start but it’s such a beautiful view when you get to the rise in the hill. Looking down towards the Glen it’s one of the best views in a race that I’ve done in Scotland and we are so lucky it is on our doorstep. The next 2 miles is just flat out downhill. In fact, for the first 6 miles, this race is generally either up or downhill.

Once you get past the car park for Roslin Glen, you get to your hairpin turn and the pain starts. Fun fact, if you turn left at the hairpin turn it takes you off-road and there’s an old gunpowder factory that once was the largest in Scotland. It’s a it’s a beautiful run itself and links back up to the Penicuk-Dalkeith cycle way 196.

I think everyone needs a bit of gunpowder in their legs to get up the next hill where last year Michael was waiting with his camera. This year I was ready, chest out, but no photo op this time.

Towards Auchiendinny, the race is spreading out, Lorenzo’s in front of me, racing in the club vest for the first time in a year or two, great to have him back. David is hot on my heels. Marc just behind him on his way to a course PB and it’s heading towards the first water station at 5K.

Through Auchendinny and then out the other side I was grateful for Sandy’s support pushing up the longest slog of a hill and the worst path to do it on.

Once you turn onto the off the main road onto the farmers road, it is undulating again but is generally the flattest part of the course. You start to find a rhythm, looking at your watch and thinking about what time you going to get, what you maintain to the finish. The race is really spread out at this point. It’s quite lonely but you’re just digging in and aiming to get back to to Rosewell for the last mile and a half push.

One of the worst hills for it’s location in the race is the rise just before Rosewell. I now call it Aly’s Hill as last year it was the one that I mistakenly told her was the last hill of the course.

Before you know it you are back in Rosewell. Carry on straight, it’s a 9 mile race and at this point you wish it was. But no, a right turn on the muddy path, up and down a few ramps, passed the golf club and the big old house and the finish line awaits.

On to the highlight of the course, the buffet. Always a good spread. Help yourself to a few sandwiches and cakes and off we went to Stewart brewing.

On to the personal achievements. Firstly well done to Lizzie, Ailsa and Shona as well as Slaw, Ollie and Donald for bring home the team prizes.

Graeme, James and myself all ran faster than 2025. Well done gents.

Mr Consistent, Mitchell was 1 second faster than last year. Marc got a course PB. Ailsa was also 2 minutes faster than last year. Stewart smashed his course PB by 8 minutes. Aileen came in just under a minute faster than last year and Fen, despite not loving life on the start line, smashed last year’s time by 7 minutes.

Great runs by all! Well done.