I am going to be on Skye during "games week" and have asked the organisers about taking part in their hill race event. They say just turn up but from what I can find out, it sounds more like a point-to-point than a normal race.

Has anyone out there done this race and if so, what's it like? I have heard talk of barbed wire fences and pig sties. Also is anyone else going to be there on the day?

10k+

I thought is was an out and back hill race 10k+.......and as far as I know there is no specific route to follow, get to the flag and back, by whatever route you like. Like most hill runs in scotland they are enter on the day, usually for a few pounds, but take full waterproof body cover with you or you may be disqualified. Scottish weather can change in the blink of an eye, especially in the western isles.

Have a look on the Carnethy web site, they usually have good reports on most Scottish Hill races. www.carnethy.com.

and good luck....

Hi there
I ran in the Skye Games last year. The race is not too hard (except for the last couple of hundred metres on the way up, first couple of hundred on the way down).
No need to take any special gear.
Hill running shoes essential if you want to be competitive.
I was 10 seconds behind the leader at the top and on the way down lost a minute because I could get no grip.
(Incidentally, the guy who won it was a Scottish champion).

The rule, like BoabyBoy said is, get to the flag and back... that's about it

The best route is: (if you prefer the excitement of searching for the best one for yourself don't read this paragraph) - out the track, onto the tarmac road, to the left, onto the graveyard, cross the graveyard onto the bay, cross the bay (if tide is high watch out for the deeper, slippery bit nearer the games grounds), aim for the petrol station, keep to the right of it into a drive, when the track forks take left - then just follow the fence up the hill. Trace your steps on the way back.

It's a short race, I would say the difficulty level is quite low. Makes an exciting change because most races are very strenuous. This is fast, you must keep your brain working all the time and the terrain is as varied as you can get: grass track, tarmac, rocks, sea water, fresh water, a graveyard!, heather, mud and the occasional pile of... hmmm... dung

The atmosphere at these games is fantastic.
You will be charged a fair amount (£8 last year) to get in. Tell them you are a competitor and you will get in for free.
If someone insists you pay, tell them to get someone else. Participants don't pay despite what some may say.

And have fun

Thanks to you both. That would have been really useful information had I read it before leaving for Skye. I took part in the race, finished it, but did not really compete with the top runners - they went off really fast and I think they must have had local knowledge. It wasn't as far as I had thought but found it quite hard on the final climb. Well done to all who took part, especially the winner who posted a really stunning time. Also apologies to the lady-runner who passed me on the beach (if she reads this) for taking a different route back and not helping her up the wall.

I would recommend taking part to any of you who like a quick and dirty running event but I will probably give it a miss next year.

tenk+