Julian wins the venerable Seven Hills race

Tania Cockburn (424) leads Portobello Running Club colleague Fen Parry (615) and Carnethy’s Alan Hogg (100) through the Blackford allotment section of the annual Edinburgh Seven Hills Race.

Described as a combination of road-running, cross-country, hill-running, and urban orienteering. Over a 14.3 mile course featuring 2200 feet of ascent/descent the race was won by Corstorphine AC’s Julian Bastable in a time of 1hr 39 mins and 32 secs with Charles Houston (Hunter’s Bog Trotters) second and Fearghas Thomson of Aberdeen third.

Morag McClelland won the women’s race for the third consecutive year in 2:00:59, with Katie Carter second and Lizzie Wastnedge third. All represent Hunter’s Bog Trotters.

Gillian Carr (Moorfoot) was first over-45 female with Seona Burnett (Harmeny) first in the over-55 category.

Michael Smith (unattached) won the M50 category, with James Mayers of Musselburgh winning the M60, and Jimmy Hudson (unattached) winning the men’s +70.

The race, launched in 1980, begins on the Castle Esplanade and encompasses Craiglockhart Hill East, Blackford Hill, Arthur’s Seat, Braid Hill, Corstorphine Hill finishing on Calton Hill.