7 hills of Arthur’s Seat – handicap results

Results from Mon 3-Feb 2025:

Great runs from Dick Wall and Sheila Strain – they both beat their handicaps and previous times by a big chunk.

Dick was first back and  took 18 mins off his old MV65 record and this at a sprightly 69 !

Sheila took 12 mins off her old FV75 record!

Dick is 70 today , so the competition is getting fierce in the over 70s age category now!

Running conditions were good – no ice, cool and a bit breezy – and not too many tourists to squeeze past on the top of the hill!

8 folk beat their handicap time ( average of previous runs) – well done Dick, Sheila, Alex, Simon, Elspeth, Raph, Sam and Liam

Welcome to newbie Lily Hibbert doing the route for the first time – hope to see you back again Lily – it’s usually easier 2nd time round as you will know where you are going

For first timers, your handicap time = your finish time , so Lily finished exactly at 1pm 

Then 4 of us regulars – Peter, Neil, Jana and me were all slower than our handicap times – maybe from too many HBT Grand Prix races in the run up to the National XC next week!

Runner	Start Time Feb 25	Feb 25  Run time	Fin Time	Time Order	Fin Order	Age Cat	Age best	Age Grade %	In-person / ITT
Dick Wall	11:42:55	00:59:43	12:42:38	12	1	MV65	01:17:15	129.36	in-person
Sheila Strain	11:20:38	01:27:44	12:48:22	13	2	FV75	01:39:22	113.26	in-person
Alex Walker	12:21:00	00:36:30	12:57:30	3	3	MS	00:24:22	66.76	in-person
Simon Waddell	12:25:18	00:32:21	12:57:39	2	4	MS	00:24:22	75.32	in-person
Elspeth Bleakley	12:03:45	00:55:26	12:59:11	10	5	FV40	00:27:24	49.43	ITT
Raph Bleakley	12:08:28	00:50:46	12:59:14	9	6	MV40	00:24:34	48.39	in-person
Sam Blackburn	12:21:19	00:38:23	12:59:42	6	7	MS	00:24:22	63.48	in-person
Liam Riggans	12:22:55	00:36:58	12:59:53	4	8	MS	00:24:22	65.92	in-person
Lily Hibbert	12:16:31	00:43:29	13:00:00	8	9	FS	00:27:24	63.01	in-person
Peter Gardner	12:28:45	00:31:47	13:00:32	1	10	MS	00:24:22	76.66	in-person
Neil Thomas	12:17:59	00:42:47	13:00:46	7	11	MV55	00:28:21	66.26	in-person
Jana Lohrova	12:04:00	00:56:54	13:00:54	11	12	FS	00:27:24	48.15	in-person
Jamie Thin	12:23:57	00:38:02	13:01:59	5	13	MV55	00:28:21	74.54	in-person

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Results from Mon 6-Jan 2025

A win by 2s by Dick Wall, and he beat his own MV65 record by 55s , so Dick sets a new world best for the V65 age grade and wins the Age Grade % too!!

… until there is a steward’s enquiry by a previous handicap organiser who can remember a faster V65 run time .. 

( I don’t think Stewart Whitlie is 65 yet !! but he is not too far off now!)

Let me know if anyone claims a faster MV65 time than Dick,  who I think is now 69 and training hard for turning 70 soon!!

Nice weather for January – stayed dry, the expected sleet and rain never arrived, but most folks’ times were generally slower than normal as the paths on the top of the hill were still very icy and some caution required!

Great to see 5 newbies running the event for the first time – for all first timers – their run time = their handicap time so they are all deemed to finish together at 1pm , that’s why there are 5 joint-third placed runners this month!

I hope you all enjoyed the course and come back again – now you know the route you are likely to be faster 2nd time round

After the run most of us retreated to our new favourite local pub, the Canongait pub on the High Street to warm up and get some chips and refreshments!

( sadly our other local pub the Kilderkin , is now closed for 3 months )

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Kilderkin, located on the Canongate, at the foot of the Royal Mile, will reportedly be rebranded as The Abbey when it reopens in March this year.

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Runner	Start Time Jan 25	Jan25  Run time	Fin Time	Time Order	Fin Order	Age Cat	Age best	Age Grade %	In-person / ITT
Dick Wall	11:42:00	01:17:05	12:59:05	13	1	MV65	01:18:00	101.19	in-person
Simon Waddell	12:24:52	00:34:15	12:59:07	2	2	MS	00:24:22	71.14	in-person
Lorna Blackmore	12:04:58	00:55:02	13:00:00	8	3	FS	00:27:24	49.79	in-person
Jaz Brown	11:55:00	01:05:00	13:00:00	11	3	FS	00:27:24	42.15	in-person
Zoe	11:55:00	01:05:00	13:00:00	11	3	FS	00:27:24	42.15	in-person
Jana	12:04:00	00:56:00	13:00:00	9	3	FS	00:27:24	48.93	in-person
Ollie Wise	12:13:10	00:46:50	13:00:00	6	3	MS	00:24:22	52.03	in-person
Jess Husbands	12:12:23	00:48:34	13:00:57	7	8	FS	00:27:24	56.42	in-person
Neil Thomas	12:18:32	00:42:34	13:01:06	4	9	MV55	00:28:21	66.60	in-person
Jamie Thin	12:24:43	00:36:48	13:01:31	3	10	MV55	00:28:21	77.04	in-person
Peter Gardner	12:29:52	00:32:23	13:02:15	1	11	MS	00:24:22	75.24	in-person
Ivor Normand	12:19:57	00:42:45	13:02:42	5	12	MV55	00:28:21	66.32	in-person
Elspeth Bleakley	12:06:33	00:59:02	13:05:35	10	13	FV40	00:27:24	46.41	ITT

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Results from Mon 2-Dec 2024

cool conditions for the Dec handicap race and some fast times!

It is still probably Scotland’s best lunchtime handicap hill race and it has now been going for nearly 30 years!! 

It started in 1995 and is still going strong!

Open to all hill runners from all clubs who can get to a wee handicap race on the first Monday of the month in central Edinburgh – tell your running pals

( plus if you can’t make the Monday in-person race – you can still do a monthly individual time trial  within that week of the monthly race and email your time to me and I’ll include you in the monthly results) 

It is a classic route – it’s got everything – fast running, steep hills, rocky scrambling, steep descents, route finding, a scree run through the gorse bushes and a downhill sprint finish!!

This month we finished with some refreshments in the friendly Kilderkin pub to celebrate 12 months of racing.

Shout out to the friendly Kilderkin bar staff who provided us with beers and chips and even got out their first aid kit for Neil Mclure , so he didn’t drip too much blood on the carpet after a tumble on the hill!!

Runner	Start Time Dec 24	Dec24  Run time	Fin Time	Time Order	Fin Order	Age Cat	Age best	Age Grade %	In-person / ITT
Dave Ward	12:24:55	00:33:02	12:57:57	3	1	MV40	00:24:34	74.37	in-person
Jamie Thin	12:23:50	00:34:25	12:58:15	4	2	MV55	00:28:21	82.37	in-person
Elspeth Bleakley	12:05:44	00:52:38	12:58:22	10	3	FV40	00:27:24	52.06	ITT
Neil Thomas	12:18:12	00:41:08	12:59:20	8	4	MV55	00:28:21	68.92	in-person
Simon Waddell	12:24:52	00:35:08	13:00:00	5	5	MS	00:24:22	69.35	in-person
Sam Blackburn	12:21:19	00:38:41	13:00:00	6	5	MS	00:24:22	62.99	in-person
Alex Walker	12:21:00	00:39:00	13:00:00	7	5	MS	00:24:22	62.48	in-person
John Ockenden	12:28:47	00:32:29	13:01:16	2	8	MS	00:24:22	75.01	in-person
Peter Gardner	12:30:31	00:30:46	13:01:17	1	9	MS	00:24:22	79.20	in-person
Neil McLure	12:22:29	00:43:36	13:06:05	9	10	MV55	00:28:21	65.02	in-person

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Mon 5th Feb 2024

Another month , another good turnout at the classic lunchtime handicap race round the 7 hills of Arthurs Seat!

50km/h winds from the West added to the fun this month!

Hard work up the Crags, till we turned the corner, then a wind assisted fly up the Guttie Haddie and on to the top of Arthurs Seat – I had that feeling of weightless-ness a few times in the gusts at the top and was nearly swept off my feet a couple of times.. despite the near gale force winds there were still lots of tourists huddled around the Trig point on the summit – which made touching the Trig point even more tricky than usual !!

Some of us made it to the Canons Gait pub after for some chips and some refreshments!

Photos from Feb:

Mon 8-Jan 2024

A big turnout at the handicap this month , as it coincided with the HBT winter Grand prix and extra points were on for doing the handicap in-person, and then going to the pub after for some refreshments ( Kilderkin) 

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Archie Dymoke was first back in the handicap race beating his expected handicap time by 6 mins and got a real prize of a discarded Tin Whistle he found on the hill !!

First lady was Jess beating her previous average time by 2 mins

First Microtrot was Seb Bleakley aged 8 1/2, who set a new age group world record for under 10 boys!!

Mum Elspeth says – “Went round this morning with Seb who got under 1 hour for the first time! 59:28.

Quote Seb (who doesn’t like the tarmac of Holyrood parkrun): “this would make a great parkrun course!”  !!

Chris : What a turnout today!

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Mon 4-Dec 2023

no photos this month – the weather was too grim outdoors on Mon 4-Dec!

3 folk doing the race for the first time – Lizzie Wastnedge, Mairi Eades and Archie Dymoke – well done in tough conditions, and tricky route finding if you haven’t been round the course  before

and 5 of us … Lizzie, Mairi, John O, Neil T and Jamie T … dried out at the Holyrood 9a for some quick refreshments before heading back to work!

Comments:

Monday runners

Chris Hill : “Quite slippery in the rain but all ice gone”
Lizzie : ” glad I managed to drag myself out into the rain!”

Mairi : ” was fun but very wet and slippy”

Liam Riggans : “Decent bit of wind and rain to be fair.”
Archie Dymoke : “Raring to go again, with better route understanding now!”

Neil Thomas : “Wrong shoes!!  .. had 2nd pint and cycled home by which point I thought I had hypothermia!! “

Jamie T : “Grim weather – worst weather all year , wind, rain and lots of mud!! Perfect conditions!!”

Time trials thru the week

Tues – Peter Gardner : ” 7 kg of extra biscuit weight is going to take a while to go! Slimy conditions!!”

Fri   – Kendon Martin : ” Over layered and understuded !!” –  Really mild and slippy virtual 7 hills for me today. 

Mon 6-Nov 2023

11 runners out

Good running, a nice clear day and grippy under-foot

7 on the day – with Claire Ward winning the in-person handicap on the day, but being pipped by 7 secs by Elspeth who ran an ITT on another day during the week

4 doing ITTs on other days in the week

Good to see Dessie back for the first time since lockdown! He hasn’t slowed down much…

Alex Lueutchford had the fastest run this month .. new PB? ( and after a busy weekend of racing..) 

Welcome Seb Bleakley who did his first handicap race at age 8, spurred on by big sister Ianthe ( who at age 11 is already a ‘7 hills of Arthurs seat veteran!!’) 

comments:

Chris.. “Great day. Lot of gorse, itchy meets scratchy “

Mon 2-Oct 2023

results from handicap race on first Monday in Oct.. or as it is now known by the tourists on the hill – “that badass workout”..

.. but so far we haven’t recruited any visiting tourists to our monthly workout!

Next event is on Mon 6th Nov – book the time out in your calendar now!

Oct results

Congrats to Chris Hill for winning the monthly handicap race

Welcome to a few first timers this month .. John Ockenden from HBT as some extra training for the Palma marathon and returnee Viv Scott who has encouraged the rest of the family to give it a go, special mention goes to Hugo who has set a new age 5 record!, and his mum Pasc who was first woman!

Welcome John, Hugo and Pasc!

Other juniors welcome .. but we probably need to encourage that the wee juniors aren’t set off all on their own! , taking the parkrun philosophy ( and the 7 hills of Arthur’s Seat is a bit steeper than your average parkrun!) , they should probably stick close to a parent or guardian until they are at least age 11 or maybe a bit older as the course includes some rocky scrambling and best if they already know their way around the hill and the paths!

Good to see Ianthe leading the way in the Junior girl category! I will to need to check through past results to see at what age she started doing the handicap course – her first recorded run was in 2021 I think – Mum Elspeth will probably know

and good to see Andy N back on the hill and recording the fastest time this month

here are a few comments and photos from the Oct handicap run to tempt more of you out on Monday 6th Nov

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Comments:

Peter G – “Definitely slower going the long way up the crags at the start” – Peter G votes for the direct start jumping over the fence and directly up through the thistles!

Neil T – “definitely helps leaving late” as the fast guys overtake you earlier which spurs you on

Andy N & Chris H – Highlight was the enthusiastic yanks who shouted “that is a badass workout” at 3 of us as we descended from Crow Hill!!

Mon 4-Sept 2023

Results from a very hot and sunny Edinburgh – and the ice cream van got some extra business  last Monday for the in-person / in real-time handicap race!!

Hot, fast, and a few extra obstacles today – piper on Crow Hill, archaeological dig on Dunsapie hill, and a wedding on Haggis Knowe!!

I ignored the wedding and kept to the usual route over Haggis Knowe, a few others dodged Haggis knowe so as not to run through the gathered throng while the bride and groom were taking their vows!

a few other comments:

Chris Hill.. Amazing conditions, quite warm and very, very dry. 

But wait, you only said ‘some’ gorse and nettles. It was mostly ALL gorse and nettles with brambles and thistles thrown in!

Alex K .. The heat did me in.

Peter G.. Legs and lungs struggling after Comrie. Also I only did half of Haggis Knowe because of the wedding

Elspeth B .. 

2 runners bettered their handicap and dipped under the 1pm marker – Jamie Thin and Peter Gardner.

Jamie was first back on the day.

First unforgivable error for any new handicapper is to win the handicap race !! 

Sorry about that – the rest of you folk will just have to run faster next month!!

But hopefully this will spur on other volunteers when it is time for me to hand over the handicapping admin role to another willing volunteer next year!

The Arthurs seat handicap has now been going for 17 years as a formal monthly timed event 

– let’s keep it going for a few more years to give the youngsters and those of us about to reach a new age group some fast times to aim at 

– and a monthly time trial over the same course is the best way to assess your race fitness and general well-being!! plus it’s a lot of fun!

Top tip – if you want to run faster – turn up for the in-person / in real-time event each Month – I typically run 3 or 4 mins faster if I’m chasing another , or being chased!

…when compared to running solo mid-week if I’ve got a clash on Monday.

**Add an important recurring meeting to your work calendar , on the first Monday of each month – that will help you to avoid too many clashing work mtgs!!**

– with the fence now blocking the direct start up the Crags and that first steep gully now over-grown with thistles and nettles, 

the alternative start to head up the crags by the longer but less steep path – now looks to be the faster route – adds about 130m distance , 

but I was several mins faster this month taking this slightly longer alternative route for the first time,

New for 2023 – I’ve added an age graded %   – closest to the course record for your age group 

– if you are at 100% or above you are matching or beating your age group / gender course record for the 7 Hills of Arthurs seat course

If you want to get an age graded % score – email me your Date of Birth – so I can add it to the spreadsheet

(Age Graded % results this week are approximate  – based on my guess of your age group – going with Strava age group bands – as it then matches to the Strava age group leaderboards)

Your handicap will change every month if you submit a time – as your start time is calculated as  1pm minus “your average run time over your last 2 run times”, so we should all finish together.. close to the One o’clock gun at 1pm. Hope to see lots of you in October – next lunchtime handicap race is on Monday 2nd October

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TLDR .. some Strava geekery..

As the route now has 2 alternative starts – plus some route choice between the summits – I’ve created two new Strava segment for the full “7 Hills of Arthurs Seat Monthly Handicap race” – using the alternative slightly longer start and shorter direct start:

new stats for longer alternative start, distance = 4.48km , climb = 376m 

lowest elevation 43m

highest elevation 254m ( actual height of Arthurs seat is 251m!?)

but new stats are more accurate than the old Carnethy segment which records the summit at only 222m!!

.. I’m guessing Strava mapping and garmin watches have got more accurate over the last 5 years??

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Direct start distance = 4.35km , climb = 423m

lowest elevation 37m

highest elevation 248m ( actual height of Arthurs seat is 251m!?)