A Scottish M70 Record in Slovakia
I’m delighted with how the Sri Chinmoy 12-Hour race in Šamorín turned out. Over the twelve hours I covered 92.515 km — 57.5 miles — a new Scottish M70 record for the distance.
It was enough for first place in the M70 category, third in the M55 standings, and seventh overall, and I came home with a trophy and a Slovak "Diplom” for the podium. A satisfying result for my second ultra of the year.
A tough, breezeless day
It was not, however, an easy day. The conditions were warm and humid, which made for a genuinely tough race — and while the thickly wooded park just outside Bratislava is wonderfully scenic, all those trees meant there wasn’t a breath of breeze to cool us down. The heat preparation I’d banked in my home "heat chamber” in the weeks beforehand certainly earned its keep.
Breaking my own Scottish record
I previewed this race here before flying out. After an early-morning start I progressed very steadily, averaging around 7:45 per kilometre — the kind of even, sustainable pace a 12-hour race rewards. There was just one inexplicable bad patch, between eight and nine hours in, which I’m pleased to say I worked my way out of as steadily as I’d slipped into it.
The moment it all came good arrived with under an hour to go, as I passed my own Scottish M70 record — the mark I’d set in Italy in March:
"I broke my own record, set in Italy in March, with about 45 minutes to go — which was a nice feeling and made it all worthwhile.”
My watch also flagged a fastest-ever 50 km somewhere along the way which, at this stage of my comeback, I’ll happily take.
This result means a great deal coming where it does in my season. After hip surgery and my return to racing, and following World M70 Bronze at the GOMU 48-Hour Championships earlier this year, a Scottish record is exactly the progression I’d been working towards.
Looking ahead to the multiday races
It will, though, be my last "short” ultramarathon for the time being. From here I’m turning my attention back to the longer multiday events, 48 hours, six days, ten days, which have always been my forte and where I feel most at home.
Before any of that, my next outing is much closer to home: the St Magnus Marathon, starting in Kirkwall on 5 July. I’ll be treating that one as a training run, pacing a friend round.
With thanks
My thanks, as always, to the Athlete Travel Award Scheme, supported by Orkney Islands Council and sportscotland, which made the trip possible, and to the Sri Chinmoy organisers for such a well-run event.
