Ultramarathon Daily News | Mon, July 22
Hi my name is Grant MacDonald, today’s URP news comes to you from Scotland while Eric continues his well deserved holiday. I am a Glasgow based ultra runner and Biomedical Scientist. I am happiest when running round in circles for a long time and will get to do this for the Great Britain team that will be heading to Albi for the IAU 24hour world championships in about 12 weeks time…not that I am counting or anything. Enough about me, here’s what has caught my eye over the last few days.
It’s been a bit of a quiet week race wise, however I cant help noticing how well Scots are doing on the European mountain running scene at the moment. Following on from Jacob Adkins win at the European Mountain running champs, Andy Douglas takes the win at round 4 of the Mountain Running World cup. So Andy will be a good person to go to for tips on how to eat hills for breakfast. I prefer muesli myself.
It’s FKT season in the UK, Es Tresidder sets a new Ramsay Round record and is very sportingly paced to the finish by previous record holder Jasmin Paris. Meanwhile writer and runner Johnny Muir has been taking on the Rigby round aka the Connoisseurs Round. Johnny is one of the finest writers on hill running, his take on John Kelly’s grand round is one of the best bits of writing I have read in a long time. If you need some summer reading his book “The Mountains are Calling” is well worth a look.
On the subject of books, I’ve just enjoyed previous URP guest Adharanand Finn’s book “The Rise of the Ultrarunners”. Here he gives us some tips on finding great running routes when travelling.
Need some dotwatching in your life this week? You are in luck as Sharon Gaytor has started her Lands End to John O’Groats record attempt.
Beth Pascall gets around to blogging her triumphant Western States run.
It must be the rubbish weather we are having, as 3 Scottish ultra running legends have updated their blogs in the space of a week. Fiona Rennie on the West Highland Way Race. Debbie Martin Consani on Ultra Trail Scotland. And James Stewart has been thinking.
Ever wanted to know what it is really like to run Barkley? Paul Giblin talks us through it. And one of Paul’s athletes talks us through keeping going when life gets in the way. Paul’s Ultra running team Pyllonracing relaunches in August, check #pyllonracing on twitter and Instagram for news.
And finally, in a shameless attempt to get the most clicked on link of the week, lets find out what Anton has been up to.