Post by Murdo ~ the other one on May 7, 2012 20:29:09 GMT
The mens, ladies, and relay race winners all had fairly comfortable margins ahead of those filling the second place slots; unlike the drop bag competition which was much more like this year’s Grand National horse race with just a short whisker separating first from second.
Several fluorescent pink fluffy feather decorated drop bags caught the eyes of the marshals and the independent impartial judge. However it was difficult to decide if any particular one of these stood out from the others. All but one were submitted by the ladies. To save him embarrassment I won’t name the one, suffice to say he was runner number 547.
Another that stood out was the ex running shoe being used as a drop bag receptacle. Well, we hope it was an ex running shoe, and not one waiting to be changed into after the Conic Hill descent. It certainly stood out from the motley assortment of Tesco / ASDA / Sainsburys bags. Richie C’s ex-McDonalds burger bag was also admired. Briefly.
After much deliberation the judge felt that the artistic skills of 6 year old Anna Bryan-Jones clinched it for her dad, Ali (race number 215), against 2nd place for 213 and 3rd for 257. All three of these, and many others, showed a great diversity of talent and initiative.
If you read Ali’s account of his race you’ll see how much his morale was boosted during the miles following his drop bag win, and how he stormed to a comprehensive PB time in the race. So the drop bag competition can indeed help your running performance, as well as being a bit of a sideshow entertainment. Do not dismiss it as being a total irrelevance!
then-stop.blogspot.co.uk/2012/05/hoka-highland-fling-2012.html
Having said that, Ali did adopt a fairly high risk strategy by using a paper bag as opposed to plastic recommended by the race organisers in the unlikely event of it raining in Scotland. If it had rained his bag would have been soggy and useless, and in contention for the worst drop bag non-award. That dishonour probably went to the person who did not put any name or number on his bag. It was therefore tricky, when he did arrive at Balmaha checkpoint, to reunite runner with bag. Perhaps he did this deliberately on the basis that as everyone else’s was numbered / named his would stand out and be easy to find. It did stand out. For the wrong reasons.
Thank you everyone for your efforts. Time now to start thinking about how to be a worthy successor to Ali / Anna.
Murdo t M ~ the other one
Several fluorescent pink fluffy feather decorated drop bags caught the eyes of the marshals and the independent impartial judge. However it was difficult to decide if any particular one of these stood out from the others. All but one were submitted by the ladies. To save him embarrassment I won’t name the one, suffice to say he was runner number 547.
Another that stood out was the ex running shoe being used as a drop bag receptacle. Well, we hope it was an ex running shoe, and not one waiting to be changed into after the Conic Hill descent. It certainly stood out from the motley assortment of Tesco / ASDA / Sainsburys bags. Richie C’s ex-McDonalds burger bag was also admired. Briefly.
After much deliberation the judge felt that the artistic skills of 6 year old Anna Bryan-Jones clinched it for her dad, Ali (race number 215), against 2nd place for 213 and 3rd for 257. All three of these, and many others, showed a great diversity of talent and initiative.
If you read Ali’s account of his race you’ll see how much his morale was boosted during the miles following his drop bag win, and how he stormed to a comprehensive PB time in the race. So the drop bag competition can indeed help your running performance, as well as being a bit of a sideshow entertainment. Do not dismiss it as being a total irrelevance!
then-stop.blogspot.co.uk/2012/05/hoka-highland-fling-2012.html
Having said that, Ali did adopt a fairly high risk strategy by using a paper bag as opposed to plastic recommended by the race organisers in the unlikely event of it raining in Scotland. If it had rained his bag would have been soggy and useless, and in contention for the worst drop bag non-award. That dishonour probably went to the person who did not put any name or number on his bag. It was therefore tricky, when he did arrive at Balmaha checkpoint, to reunite runner with bag. Perhaps he did this deliberately on the basis that as everyone else’s was numbered / named his would stand out and be easy to find. It did stand out. For the wrong reasons.
Thank you everyone for your efforts. Time now to start thinking about how to be a worthy successor to Ali / Anna.
Murdo t M ~ the other one
