0:00:28 > 0:00:31I wasn't expecting to be knee deep in a bog trying to get out.
0:00:31 > 0:00:33This is actually fun.
0:00:33 > 0:00:37I've never sweated so much in Scotland in my life.
0:00:37 > 0:00:40Hello and a very warm welcome to The Adventure Show.
0:00:40 > 0:00:43This month we're in the imposing landscape of Glencoe
0:00:43 > 0:00:45for what must be one of the most
0:00:45 > 0:00:49beautiful and rugged marathon courses anywhere in the UK.
0:00:49 > 0:00:52It's magical. I usually do the races on the West Highland Way,
0:00:52 > 0:00:55so squeezing in an end of season one.
0:00:55 > 0:00:58And this isn't just any old marathon.
0:00:58 > 0:01:01As well as a distance of 26.2 miles,
0:01:01 > 0:01:04there's also 1,600 metres of ascent,
0:01:04 > 0:01:06including a gruelling 500 metres
0:01:06 > 0:01:08up the eastern edge of the Aonach ridge,
0:01:08 > 0:01:11aptly known as the Devil's Staircase.
0:01:11 > 0:01:13I'm leaving soon for good,
0:01:13 > 0:01:17so I have to embrace the place that I love so much.
0:01:17 > 0:01:19There's no other place like Glencoe.
0:01:19 > 0:01:22It has been described as Scotland's hardest marathon,
0:01:22 > 0:01:25and it does look like a fantastic challenge,
0:01:25 > 0:01:29crossing through some of the most beautiful country in the land.
0:01:29 > 0:01:32Right down towards the finish at the base of Ben Nevis.
0:01:32 > 0:01:34I tend to do things and then think about it.
0:01:34 > 0:01:36Should be running really.
0:01:36 > 0:01:38Whereabouts is the Devil's Staircase?
0:01:38 > 0:01:40You've just done it.
0:01:40 > 0:01:43Oh, right. Is that it? Piece of cake.
0:01:43 > 0:01:45- See you later.- Bye.
0:01:45 > 0:01:47Also in this month's Adventure Show,
0:01:47 > 0:01:49we'll be looking ahead to deep winter,
0:01:49 > 0:01:53as we catch up with young Scottish snowboarder Ben Kilner.
0:01:53 > 0:01:56I think at first what gripped me to it
0:01:56 > 0:02:00was probably just the fact that it was so hard to start with,
0:02:00 > 0:02:04I was really determined to actually manage to do it.
0:02:04 > 0:02:07It was frustrating me that I couldn't perfect it.
0:02:07 > 0:02:08We'll be joining up with
0:02:08 > 0:02:11long distance hiker and wilderness guru Chris Townsend
0:02:11 > 0:02:14as he prepares for the long dark nights.
0:02:14 > 0:02:17I think the mountains are at their most glorious in winter
0:02:17 > 0:02:21when they're snow covered. They're absolutely fantastic.
0:02:21 > 0:02:25And then it really does feel like a true Arctic wilderness.
0:02:26 > 0:02:31And Cameron McNeish will once again be heading up into our mountains.
0:02:31 > 0:02:32And it's a wild walk with a difference.
0:02:32 > 0:02:35I want to combine some coastal walking,
0:02:35 > 0:02:38a walk through a lovely woodland with a visit to the summit
0:02:38 > 0:02:42of Ben Bhraggie, where I'm going to visit Golspie's very own Mannie.
0:02:44 > 0:02:46But first to the Glencoe Marathon,
0:02:46 > 0:02:49and this is only the second year this event has been held.
0:02:49 > 0:02:50And the winner got round last year
0:02:50 > 0:02:55in an incredible time of 3 hours 50 minutes, so that's the time to beat.
0:02:55 > 0:02:56For many competitors, though,
0:02:56 > 0:02:59just getting round in one piece will be enough.
0:02:59 > 0:03:01I'm really nervous because I done it last year
0:03:01 > 0:03:03and it was a proper struggle,
0:03:03 > 0:03:06and basically I couldn't walk properly for about a week without pain.
0:03:06 > 0:03:08So I'm really nervous because I know what's coming.
0:03:08 > 0:03:11I've done the West Highland Way Race three times.
0:03:11 > 0:03:13And I've done the Devil of the Highland
0:03:13 > 0:03:16which takes from Tyndrum to Fort William, I've done that five times.
0:03:16 > 0:03:19So, yeah, once I get to the Devil's Staircase,
0:03:19 > 0:03:21yeah, it's familiar territory for me.
0:03:21 > 0:03:23The race starts at the Red Squirrel campsite
0:03:23 > 0:03:25just outside Glencoe village.
0:03:25 > 0:03:27From here, the runners head east
0:03:27 > 0:03:29through the heart of Glencoe
0:03:29 > 0:03:30before turning north
0:03:30 > 0:03:32to tackle the Devil's Staircase.
0:03:33 > 0:03:35Once at the high point
0:03:35 > 0:03:36with the Aonach Eagach ridge
0:03:36 > 0:03:38breaking the skyline to the west,
0:03:38 > 0:03:39they race downhill
0:03:39 > 0:03:41into Kinlochleven.
0:03:42 > 0:03:45The second part of the event starts with a tough incline
0:03:45 > 0:03:48as the route snakes through the mighty Mamores,
0:03:48 > 0:03:50before powering down into Glen Nevis
0:03:50 > 0:03:53and the finish at the foot of the Ben.
0:03:53 > 0:03:56Well, you may well expect with an event like the Glencoe Marathon,
0:03:56 > 0:04:01that Dougie, Deziree, or me, Duncan, would be running the event.
0:04:01 > 0:04:06But no, we have another D - Dominic - who is our running secret weapon.
0:04:06 > 0:04:09Dominic, you're running the Devil's Staircase with a camera.
0:04:09 > 0:04:11How do you think that will be?
0:04:11 > 0:04:13Well, I actually ran up it just before to have a look
0:04:13 > 0:04:15and it's not too bad.
0:04:15 > 0:04:17It's sort of winding, it's a pretty good path,
0:04:17 > 0:04:19there is a lot of loose rocks on it as well,
0:04:19 > 0:04:21so the runners are going to have to concentrate on that.
0:04:21 > 0:04:24They don't want to be going over on their ankle, that sort of thing.
0:04:24 > 0:04:27But it is short and sharp, it's quite steep in sections,
0:04:27 > 0:04:30but when you get to the top, it's about a five mile downhill
0:04:30 > 0:04:34to Kinlochleven, so I'm sure they'll be looking forward to that.
0:04:34 > 0:04:36It's quite demoralising you can do that with a camera.
0:04:36 > 0:04:38Of course, I would have done it myself,
0:04:38 > 0:04:42but, well, it's a little too easy to show off.
0:04:42 > 0:04:44Anyway, there's no doubt about one thing.
0:04:44 > 0:04:47This is a tough route for tough racers.
0:04:47 > 0:04:50I'm very nervous. I think I've got a long day ahead of me.
0:04:50 > 0:04:52I haven't done anything like this before.
0:04:52 > 0:04:55I have only done a few half marathons, city half marathons.
0:04:55 > 0:04:58This is my first ever mountain marathon.
0:04:58 > 0:05:02You know... I've not done anything like this before.
0:05:02 > 0:05:05I just hope that I make it to the end and that my training will carry me through.
0:05:05 > 0:05:09Would you not be nervous if you had to run up these hills?
0:05:09 > 0:05:11So here is the countdown.
0:05:13 > 0:05:16And they're off. APPLAUSE
0:05:16 > 0:05:21And it's going to be all about careful pacing today.
0:05:21 > 0:05:24There's a lot of people who have a chance to win the race,
0:05:24 > 0:05:28and many people who are just wanting to finish.
0:05:28 > 0:05:29But, even for the best runners,
0:05:29 > 0:05:32they're going to need to pace themselves very carefully.
0:05:32 > 0:05:36The first five miles is a long drag up Glencoe.
0:05:36 > 0:05:39Just 200 metres ascent, which is not too bad,
0:05:39 > 0:05:41but it's a bit strength-sapping.
0:05:41 > 0:05:43And then the Devil's Staircase.
0:05:43 > 0:05:48And it was described to me as a quick 500 metre push up,
0:05:48 > 0:05:52and then a long drag along the hillside into Kinlochleven,
0:05:52 > 0:05:54where the real meat of the race is -
0:05:54 > 0:05:58the last few miles out of Kinlochleven to the finish.
0:05:58 > 0:06:00Woo-hoo! Freedom!
0:06:00 > 0:06:03Last year saw the very first Glencoe Marathon.
0:06:03 > 0:06:05Today, people have flocked here
0:06:05 > 0:06:08from right across the UK and further afield.
0:06:08 > 0:06:11The reason we chose this is because it's so beautiful,
0:06:11 > 0:06:14but it's a tough route. I did it myself last year,
0:06:14 > 0:06:18and a lot of mud, especially before you join the West Highland Way.
0:06:18 > 0:06:20So we're pioneering this route.
0:06:20 > 0:06:23People are now wanting to do the off-road marathons more.
0:06:23 > 0:06:25They're getting kind of bored of running on the road,
0:06:25 > 0:06:27more injuries on the road.
0:06:27 > 0:06:29An event like this is iconic, absolutely stunning,
0:06:29 > 0:06:32probably the most beautiful marathon in the world.
0:06:32 > 0:06:33It really is incredible.
0:06:33 > 0:06:36And I think it will grow - just under 300 this year -
0:06:36 > 0:06:38but hopefully that will grow.
0:06:38 > 0:06:41I've never done a marathon.
0:06:41 > 0:06:42So this is quite a big thing
0:06:42 > 0:06:45to kick off to start your marathon running career?
0:06:45 > 0:06:48Well, I would never do a road marathon, never.
0:06:48 > 0:06:51It's... Never had any desire to do a road marathon,
0:06:51 > 0:06:54and this just happens to be a marathon, but it's in Glencoe,
0:06:54 > 0:06:58so that's the only reason I'm doing it.
0:06:58 > 0:07:00I suffered a heart attack last year at age 37,
0:07:00 > 0:07:02so it was a bit of a shock for me.
0:07:02 > 0:07:05I thought I was quite healthy and doing everything I could
0:07:05 > 0:07:07to prevent any medical problems, but there you go.
0:07:07 > 0:07:11So six months with the help of the BHF and my local hospital
0:07:11 > 0:07:12to get me back to health
0:07:12 > 0:07:16and then now I sort of picked up the reins from there, and here I am now.
0:07:16 > 0:07:20It was my wife actually signed up three months ago believe it or not,
0:07:20 > 0:07:22I didn't actually know about that.
0:07:22 > 0:07:24But, no, I think it's a fantastic venue,
0:07:24 > 0:07:26the scenery around here will be fantastic.
0:07:26 > 0:07:29And obviously it is quite a challenge.
0:07:29 > 0:07:31Running a marathon is a challenge enough as it is,
0:07:31 > 0:07:34but with all the ascent that's involved in this,
0:07:34 > 0:07:38all the descent, this is going to be difficult.
0:07:38 > 0:07:41I'm in the Army and was out in Afghanistan and thought,
0:07:41 > 0:07:44"I fancy entering in a race when I get back."
0:07:44 > 0:07:47Unfortunately my appendix burst on tour, so I've only had a month to train for it,
0:07:47 > 0:07:50so I'm just going to give it a shot and see how it goes.
0:07:50 > 0:07:54So we're only about 25 minutes into the race,
0:07:54 > 0:07:57and already there's a breakaway group of three runners
0:07:57 > 0:07:59who are setting a pretty good pace up Glencoe.
0:07:59 > 0:08:03So they've done the first couple of miles,
0:08:03 > 0:08:06now they're coming up on the old Drovers Road that leads
0:08:06 > 0:08:08up on to the flat of Rannoch Moor.
0:08:08 > 0:08:10And out in front at this early stage
0:08:10 > 0:08:16is Christopher Darling, James Crozier and Alan Ross.
0:08:16 > 0:08:18I've only done a couple of road marathons.
0:08:18 > 0:08:21There's not really any comparison.
0:08:21 > 0:08:24The training's enjoyable because you're training off-road
0:08:24 > 0:08:28and because you need to train for similar types of terrain.
0:08:28 > 0:08:31Probably not so much of a toll on the body
0:08:31 > 0:08:34from the sort of faster miles that you would do on the road.
0:08:34 > 0:08:38So, the appeal's there. You can do these I think into your - I don't know - 80s.
0:08:38 > 0:08:40You can do them for a long time certainly.
0:08:40 > 0:08:44I think your body doesn't get hurt as much by them.
0:08:44 > 0:08:47And as these three head off towards the relative flat
0:08:47 > 0:08:49of the upper part of Glencoe,
0:08:49 > 0:08:54before the Devil's Staircase, they are well out in front.
0:08:54 > 0:08:58The nearest runners are about 300 metres behind already.
0:08:59 > 0:09:02Leading the women's race is top ultrarunner Lucy Colquhoun.
0:09:02 > 0:09:06She holds the record for the fastest female on the West Highland Way,
0:09:06 > 0:09:09but says she has not been doing much training recently.
0:09:09 > 0:09:13- You sure you don't want to swap? - I thought you said you weren't fit?
0:09:13 > 0:09:15- I'm not!- Keep going.
0:09:15 > 0:09:17- This is just the beginning. - Go on, Luce.
0:09:17 > 0:09:21There's nowhere to hide in a road marathon, it's a relentless pace.
0:09:21 > 0:09:24You know what time you're going for and you just have to bang one mile
0:09:24 > 0:09:28out after the next, much more intense obviously and no variety.
0:09:28 > 0:09:30I much prefer off-road because you've got the ups and downs -
0:09:30 > 0:09:33literally and figuratively.
0:09:33 > 0:09:36The scenery distracts you from the hard work.
0:09:36 > 0:09:39It takes longer, but you're just in beautiful surroundings.
0:09:39 > 0:09:42It's a much more kind of holistic experience.
0:09:42 > 0:09:46With the Devil's Staircase looming up ahead for the competitors,
0:09:46 > 0:09:49we're going to take a short break from the action here at Glencoe
0:09:49 > 0:09:52and look ahead to winter with one of the rising stars
0:09:52 > 0:09:54of the Scottish snowboard scene.
0:10:01 > 0:10:06Meet Ben Kilner, born and brought up in Banchory, now taking
0:10:06 > 0:10:08the snowboarding world by storm.
0:10:08 > 0:10:10Yeah, woo.
0:10:10 > 0:10:14I was nine years old when I first kind of discovered snowboarding,
0:10:14 > 0:10:17and that was through sledging down at my local golf course,
0:10:17 > 0:10:22seeing these guys going off these little jumps
0:10:22 > 0:10:25and I just thought, "I really want to do that."
0:10:25 > 0:10:29I think at first what gripped me
0:10:29 > 0:10:33to it was probably just the fact that it was so hard to start with,
0:10:33 > 0:10:36I was really determined to actually manage to do it.
0:10:36 > 0:10:39It was frustrating me that I couldn't perfect it,
0:10:39 > 0:10:45and it still frustrates me to this day that I can't perfect it.
0:10:45 > 0:10:49I never thought that I would be addicted to it until I have
0:10:49 > 0:10:53a long break and I'm just like, "Wow, my body really needs something here."
0:10:53 > 0:10:58And you realise actually, "I need to go snowboarding, I need to go
0:10:58 > 0:11:01"and fill my body with adrenaline again."
0:11:01 > 0:11:06It's a massive excitement I think you get that we always strive for.
0:11:06 > 0:11:10I think we'll never get bored of being filled with adrenaline.
0:11:10 > 0:11:11Yeah!
0:11:13 > 0:11:16Ben is one of a new breed of snowboarders.
0:11:16 > 0:11:19The grunge stylings and reverse baseball hats
0:11:19 > 0:11:21may still be part of this sport,
0:11:21 > 0:11:23but along with this comes the serious training of
0:11:23 > 0:11:26a dedicated, top-class sportsperson.
0:11:28 > 0:11:31'I mean we don't have the best reputation but that comes from
0:11:31 > 0:11:35'history, I think. Now things have changed a lot. We are considered'
0:11:35 > 0:11:39athletes now so we are very kind of professional about things.
0:11:39 > 0:11:42And we know now that if you are not fit for the game,
0:11:42 > 0:11:45then you end up with injuries and things like that.
0:11:45 > 0:11:49So, yeah, we just try and keep on top of things.
0:11:49 > 0:11:52We know that fitness is the key to performing well.
0:11:52 > 0:11:53Nice.
0:11:53 > 0:11:56Very nice, Ben. Good force.
0:11:56 > 0:12:02Ben first competed at the Winter Olympics in Vancouver in 2010.
0:12:02 > 0:12:04He's confident about his chances for
0:12:04 > 0:12:08selection to the Sochi games in Russia next year.
0:12:08 > 0:12:12The Olympics has been a dream for me ever since I was young.
0:12:12 > 0:12:15I saw the Salt Lake City games in 2002
0:12:15 > 0:12:18and I just remember being sat in my room.
0:12:18 > 0:12:23I just saw my heroes on TV and just thinking, "I really want to do that."
0:12:23 > 0:12:26Let's go, let's go, chest up, chest up.
0:12:26 > 0:12:30I feel I've got another Olympic Games in me after Russia,
0:12:30 > 0:12:33so, I mean, that allows me to
0:12:33 > 0:12:37go another four years with a lot of focus.
0:12:37 > 0:12:39One more set.
0:12:42 > 0:12:45Ben's Olympic success would not have been possible without
0:12:45 > 0:12:50the support of friends and family, particularly his mum and dad.
0:12:50 > 0:12:51Done.
0:12:51 > 0:12:54In the early days, it was a real burden.
0:12:54 > 0:12:57We had to sort of 100% finance him.
0:12:57 > 0:13:02And because snowboarding, you can't particularly do it,
0:13:02 > 0:13:05you know, on a professional basis with what we have available,
0:13:05 > 0:13:07the facilities here,
0:13:07 > 0:13:10he had to travel abroad so it cost a lot of money.
0:13:10 > 0:13:15As he became accepted as a professional athlete,
0:13:15 > 0:13:19then sponsorship came along, and it became easier.
0:13:20 > 0:13:24I think the support from family and friends has been something that's
0:13:24 > 0:13:28driven me to where I am today, they've been absolutely brilliant.
0:13:28 > 0:13:34And, I mean, snowboarding full-time, you really have to sacrifice
0:13:34 > 0:13:39education and your friends and family in order to get where you are,
0:13:39 > 0:13:43so it's hard doing but they've continued to support me.
0:13:46 > 0:13:48It can be quite barking, I think.
0:13:48 > 0:13:50It depends which way you look at it.
0:13:50 > 0:13:53You can look at us as being completely and utterly mental,
0:13:53 > 0:13:59or you can look at us being crazy, but in control crazy.
0:13:59 > 0:14:01I think that's the difference.
0:14:01 > 0:14:04Someone that just throws themselves upside down
0:14:04 > 0:14:07and has never done it before, that's to me crazy.
0:14:07 > 0:14:09But someone that can throw themselves upside down
0:14:09 > 0:14:12and know that they are going to land back on their feet,
0:14:12 > 0:14:14that's in control crazy.
0:14:14 > 0:14:18And the best of luck to Ben both for this season
0:14:18 > 0:14:21and those upcoming Russian Winter Olympics.
0:14:21 > 0:14:24We are staying with the winter theme as we head into
0:14:24 > 0:14:28the Scottish hills with wilderness expert Chris Townsend,
0:14:28 > 0:14:31who enjoys this time of year more than any other.
0:14:38 > 0:14:41In winter, when the mountains are covered in deep snow,
0:14:41 > 0:14:44then they're wilder and seem bigger
0:14:44 > 0:14:50because all the scars of summer - the cairns, the footpaths
0:14:50 > 0:14:51are buried under the snow,
0:14:51 > 0:14:57so you really have an untouched landscape to go out into.
0:14:58 > 0:15:02Chris has spent a lifetime exploring the world's wild places.
0:15:02 > 0:15:08His walks range from a mere 500 miles to ones of over 2,000.
0:15:08 > 0:15:10There's nowhere he knows better though
0:15:10 > 0:15:13than his local Cairngorm Mountains.
0:15:13 > 0:15:16He is the star of a new film produced by Terry Abraham
0:15:16 > 0:15:19celebrating this landscape in winter.
0:15:26 > 0:15:29The Cairngorms are one of my favourite places,
0:15:29 > 0:15:33I love wild places and I love the Cairngorms.
0:15:34 > 0:15:38They're also my home mountains now,
0:15:38 > 0:15:45places where I feel I can go to when I need to restore my spirits.
0:15:45 > 0:15:49Where the forests and the mountains are familiar
0:15:49 > 0:15:51and feel like friends,
0:15:51 > 0:15:55friends, however, that I know I have to be wary of
0:15:55 > 0:15:59as the weather can be so savage at any time.
0:16:03 > 0:16:06As autumn turned into winter, we met up with Chris
0:16:06 > 0:16:10to discover why this range of mountains inspires him so much,
0:16:10 > 0:16:14and at a time when many of us just want to sit in front of the fire.
0:16:14 > 0:16:18It feels much more like exploring than it does in the summer,
0:16:18 > 0:16:21and, of course, the one thing with snow is
0:16:21 > 0:16:22it can be different every day.
0:16:22 > 0:16:26So you can go out one day and the snow would have drifted
0:16:26 > 0:16:29in such a way and will have such a texture,
0:16:29 > 0:16:31you can go out the next day and it's completely different,
0:16:31 > 0:16:35and all signs that you were there the day before have gone.
0:16:37 > 0:16:41It's the light which is a real northern light.
0:16:41 > 0:16:44I think it's to do with the combination of sunshine,
0:16:44 > 0:16:47and snow, and clouds.
0:16:47 > 0:16:50And you always get long shadows, so the lighting,
0:16:50 > 0:16:55even when it's bright, it's still got that Arctic feel.
0:16:57 > 0:16:59And the other thing the low sun does is
0:16:59 > 0:17:04it brings out the texture of the snow and of any rocks,
0:17:04 > 0:17:06because they are being lit from the side,
0:17:06 > 0:17:10so you see all the variations in the snow, all the shadows,
0:17:10 > 0:17:13all the little ridges.
0:17:15 > 0:17:19Winter in the Cairngorms can be wild and savage.
0:17:21 > 0:17:26On a sunny day, when it's warm and dry in the shelter of the trees,
0:17:26 > 0:17:29it's easy to think that it must be the same high up.
0:17:31 > 0:17:34But just look up and see the clouds racing overhead
0:17:34 > 0:17:38and you'll realise that it can be very different.
0:17:44 > 0:17:49Winter storms can be really exciting, really fun,
0:17:49 > 0:17:50it's really exhilarating.
0:17:51 > 0:17:55When you have a blizzard blasting across the tops
0:17:55 > 0:17:57you really feel you could be anywhere.
0:17:57 > 0:18:00It really, really feels remote.
0:18:00 > 0:18:04You cannot see outside the storm.
0:18:04 > 0:18:07You are in the storm, and the whole world is the storm.
0:18:13 > 0:18:17The most spectacular day of filming was the day when
0:18:17 > 0:18:21we camped on the summit of Mullach Clach a'Bhlair,
0:18:21 > 0:18:24which is one of the Munros above Glen Feshie,
0:18:24 > 0:18:30because that was a perfect winter's day,
0:18:30 > 0:18:34crystal clear views to the distant horizons,
0:18:34 > 0:18:37and we camped almost on the summit itself.
0:18:37 > 0:18:44There was a wonderful sunset, and then a beautiful starry sky.
0:18:44 > 0:18:48It was a completely calm night,
0:18:48 > 0:18:51very cold but no wind at all.
0:18:51 > 0:18:56And then the next morning, the dawn was absolutely wonderful.
0:18:56 > 0:18:58That is the best high level camp,
0:18:58 > 0:19:01winter camp in Scotland I've ever had.
0:19:10 > 0:19:14Most people are out on the hills between nine and five,
0:19:14 > 0:19:17and I think they miss the best times to be out.
0:19:17 > 0:19:20You know, they miss the dawn,
0:19:20 > 0:19:22they miss the sunset,
0:19:22 > 0:19:25they miss the starry skies at night.
0:19:25 > 0:19:28And it's especially great in winter,
0:19:28 > 0:19:32lie in the tent looking out at the stars
0:19:32 > 0:19:34because you can hear the wind,
0:19:34 > 0:19:38you can hear snow skittering across icy surfaces,
0:19:38 > 0:19:42you can hear any creatures that are about.
0:19:42 > 0:19:45Sometimes it's stormy and you can wake in the morning
0:19:45 > 0:19:47and the world has completely changed.
0:19:47 > 0:19:49When there has been snow overnight,
0:19:49 > 0:19:52even the tracks you have made walking to the tent,
0:19:52 > 0:19:55and walking around the tent the night before have gone.
0:19:55 > 0:19:58And you look out and the world has been renewed
0:19:58 > 0:20:00while you were asleep.
0:20:00 > 0:20:04Don't forget going out into the Scottish mountains in winter conditions
0:20:04 > 0:20:07requires a high level of skill and experience,
0:20:07 > 0:20:10and should rarely be attempted alone.
0:20:10 > 0:20:13The good news is that a number of mountain instructors
0:20:13 > 0:20:16and organisations teach the necessary skills.
0:20:16 > 0:20:18To find out about them,
0:20:18 > 0:20:20the film Chris made, and all our other news,
0:20:20 > 0:20:22follow us on Facebook.
0:20:28 > 0:20:31Welcome back to the Glencoe Marathon.
0:20:31 > 0:20:35Now competitors are getting stuck into the steepest part of the course
0:20:35 > 0:20:37the Devil's Staircase.
0:20:37 > 0:20:40- How are you doing?- Good, thanks.
0:20:40 > 0:20:42- Lovely day for it.- Beautiful day.
0:20:44 > 0:20:49Out in front, one of the three early leaders has managed to break away.
0:20:49 > 0:20:51Alan Ross lives in Lochaber
0:20:51 > 0:20:55and, for him, being local is one of the attractions of this race.
0:20:55 > 0:20:57I have a young family so it was nice to do something
0:20:57 > 0:21:00where I don't have to travel hours and hours to get to it.
0:21:00 > 0:21:03I did a race in the summer over in Braemar,
0:21:03 > 0:21:06that was a similar race to this but a lot further away.
0:21:06 > 0:21:10And there's something nice about such familiar terrain.
0:21:10 > 0:21:13You know, growing up here I spent a lot of time in this glen,
0:21:13 > 0:21:16in Glencoe skiing and doing all sorts of different sports,
0:21:16 > 0:21:20so there was something really special about this.
0:21:20 > 0:21:23Hello, you are doing a great job there, how's it going?
0:21:23 > 0:21:25Not too bad.
0:21:25 > 0:21:27- You are looking really fresh still. - Aye.
0:21:27 > 0:21:29Well done.
0:21:29 > 0:21:31Close behind is James Crozier from Fife,
0:21:31 > 0:21:34he's having a great run so far,
0:21:34 > 0:21:37in spite of being relatively new to this kind of event.
0:21:37 > 0:21:40I only started running last year. My weekends were taken up
0:21:40 > 0:21:44with just having drinks and I decided that enough was enough.
0:21:44 > 0:21:46I kept going to watch videos and DVDs
0:21:46 > 0:21:49and my wife was saying we have already watched that,
0:21:49 > 0:21:51and because I was just getting drunk and watching them
0:21:51 > 0:21:53I could never remember that I had watched them,
0:21:53 > 0:21:57so I thought, "Right, that's it." So I got a pair of running shoes
0:21:57 > 0:21:59and just started running up the local hills in Fife.
0:21:59 > 0:22:02I enjoyed it that much I just kept running more and more and more.
0:22:04 > 0:22:07One of the early leaders through Glencoe, Christopher Darling,
0:22:07 > 0:22:09is currently in third place
0:22:09 > 0:22:12close behind him as they start the climb up the Devil's Staircase,
0:22:12 > 0:22:15Michael Tweedley from Edinburgh, is in fourth.
0:22:15 > 0:22:18He's better known as a climber.
0:22:18 > 0:22:21Got injured so just started doing running and stuff.
0:22:21 > 0:22:23I did like running before so
0:22:23 > 0:22:26just started doing more stuff like that - triathlons and stuff.
0:22:26 > 0:22:30- So you're fairly new to this type of activity then?- Yeah, yeah.
0:22:30 > 0:22:32Just this year I've just entered three events
0:22:32 > 0:22:34and this is the final event.
0:22:34 > 0:22:38Going uphill especially, I feel that's my strong point.
0:22:38 > 0:22:42So I did sort of think that if I took it steady up Glencoe
0:22:42 > 0:22:46and then got to that point, I could make up some places.
0:22:46 > 0:22:47Are you still smiling?
0:22:47 > 0:22:48Yeah.
0:22:48 > 0:22:51How's the race so far?
0:22:51 > 0:22:54Pretty good, yeah, a bit boggy.
0:22:54 > 0:22:55- All right?- Aye.
0:22:55 > 0:22:59It really feels like here at the Devil's Staircase is where
0:22:59 > 0:23:02this becomes a mountain marathon, it's the threshold.
0:23:02 > 0:23:04People leave the road and they are journeying up
0:23:04 > 0:23:06into some real wilderness terrain.
0:23:07 > 0:23:10I often think one of the best things about doing a marathon like this
0:23:10 > 0:23:13must surely be the incredible scenery
0:23:13 > 0:23:15that you get to journey through,
0:23:15 > 0:23:18and on a day like today, the play of the light on the mountains
0:23:18 > 0:23:20is just absolutely incredible.
0:23:20 > 0:23:24Also enjoying the scenery, and the hard work that goes with it,
0:23:24 > 0:23:29is experienced fell runner and our cameraman Dominic Scott.
0:23:29 > 0:23:31How's it going?
0:23:31 > 0:23:33Oh, it's good, man. That section's killing me.
0:23:33 > 0:23:35That boggy section is really killing me.
0:23:35 > 0:23:38Are you doing the marathon, aye?
0:23:38 > 0:23:40- Aye.- How's it going?
0:23:40 > 0:23:41Not too bad, not too bad.
0:23:41 > 0:23:45Great, isn't it? I am looking forward to getting to the top now
0:23:45 > 0:23:49and cruising down to Kinlochleven.
0:23:49 > 0:23:52There's not a lot of running going on, but it's only the first half,
0:23:52 > 0:23:55and people have talked about the first section as being really,
0:23:55 > 0:23:59really tough, and the boggy section as being really tough.
0:23:59 > 0:24:02So I think people are finding it quite difficult to be honest.
0:24:02 > 0:24:05Yeah. How easy is it for you, trying to film folks
0:24:05 > 0:24:06on this kind of terrain?
0:24:06 > 0:24:10It's quite a narrow path so it's pretty difficult to film,
0:24:10 > 0:24:12and it's pretty difficult because I've got to keep one eye
0:24:12 > 0:24:16on the path and one eye on them which doesn't always happen.
0:24:16 > 0:24:18But, it's... Yeah, it's quite tricky.
0:24:18 > 0:24:21- How are you? - You should be doing this.
0:24:21 > 0:24:23Well, I'm doing a bit of it!
0:24:25 > 0:24:28Still leading the field for the women is Lucy Colquhoun.
0:24:28 > 0:24:31As an ultra runner, used to tackling far longer courses,
0:24:31 > 0:24:35she's taking this 26.2 miles in her stride.
0:24:35 > 0:24:38If you're doing a long trail run, you don't have to watch out
0:24:38 > 0:24:39and you're not hammering down at speeds,
0:24:39 > 0:24:41so you do lose yourself in it.
0:24:41 > 0:24:45If you're fit and the land is such that you can run,
0:24:45 > 0:24:49it's a lovely feeling where your muscles work
0:24:49 > 0:24:53and the pace is what you want it to be and you feel
0:24:53 > 0:24:57just very within your own body, it's quite hard to describe.
0:24:58 > 0:25:01You find out just what you've got within you,
0:25:01 > 0:25:03it's the solitude that I like actually.
0:25:05 > 0:25:08About seven minutes behind Lucy is Kim Stewart from Stirling.
0:25:08 > 0:25:11This is the first time she's run a marathon
0:25:11 > 0:25:15and she only signed up for the event seven weeks ago.
0:25:15 > 0:25:17Is this one of the toughest sections of it?
0:25:17 > 0:25:20I don't know, I'd say the bog was pretty bad.
0:25:20 > 0:25:23This is steep so just having a walk,
0:25:23 > 0:25:25- but I have never done it before... - OK.
0:25:25 > 0:25:26I've never been up here before.
0:25:26 > 0:25:28Oh, fantastic, you are doing a great job then.
0:25:28 > 0:25:30- It's good. - A third of the way through.
0:25:30 > 0:25:32- Yeah.- We'll let you get running.
0:25:32 > 0:25:34- Excellent.- Good luck.- Thank you...
0:25:34 > 0:25:35Because you're running
0:25:35 > 0:25:37and you're constantly watching where your feet are,
0:25:37 > 0:25:39you're constantly looking at the surroundings,
0:25:39 > 0:25:41you're not really clock watching,
0:25:41 > 0:25:44you're not thinking, you're not knocking off the miles.
0:25:44 > 0:25:47Like, even in 10K or half marathons you're knocking off the miles,
0:25:47 > 0:25:51whereas this you're just running and looking around.
0:25:51 > 0:25:53It was great.
0:25:53 > 0:25:57I love Glencoe, I love just coming anywhere near Glencoe
0:25:57 > 0:26:02and completely off-road and I just thought, "That's the route."
0:26:02 > 0:26:06And the fact it was a marathon kind of put me off a bit,
0:26:06 > 0:26:08but, at the end of the day I just went for it.
0:26:08 > 0:26:11The third woman to tackle the staircase
0:26:11 > 0:26:13is Glasgow based Debbie Martin-Consani.
0:26:13 > 0:26:15Like Lucy Colquhoun,
0:26:15 > 0:26:19she's an athlete more used to ultra marathon distances.
0:26:19 > 0:26:20How's it going?
0:26:20 > 0:26:22Good, yeah, loving it.
0:26:22 > 0:26:25- Why?- I love the West Highland Way, it's magical.
0:26:25 > 0:26:28I usually do the races on the West Highland Way,
0:26:28 > 0:26:33but I haven't done any this year, so squeezing in an end of season one.
0:26:33 > 0:26:34So what made you come and do this one then?
0:26:34 > 0:26:37I just love this section, fabulous.
0:26:37 > 0:26:40Apart from the first bit - I don't really like mud.
0:26:40 > 0:26:42Oh, it's tough.
0:26:42 > 0:26:47Running in these hills is not only a test of strength and stamina
0:26:47 > 0:26:51but also of tactics, so Duncan McCallum met up with
0:26:51 > 0:26:54current leader and top endurance athlete Lucy Colquhoun.
0:26:54 > 0:26:56to discover the tricks of the trade.
0:27:03 > 0:27:06It's a pretty nice, warm autumn day here in Glencoe
0:27:06 > 0:27:09and this is my normal hillwalking kit.
0:27:09 > 0:27:12Got a windproof top, a base layer, trousers,
0:27:12 > 0:27:14lightweight boots, not too heavy,
0:27:14 > 0:27:18and a rucksack full of the normal stuff for a day out on the hill,
0:27:18 > 0:27:21and it weighs about five-and-a-half kilos.
0:27:21 > 0:27:24Lucy, we've got an event, the Glencoe mountain marathon,
0:27:24 > 0:27:28normal hillwalking gear is simply not appropriate, it's too heavy.
0:27:28 > 0:27:30What would you carry for an event like that,
0:27:30 > 0:27:33for a long distance, high altitude mountain run?
0:27:33 > 0:27:36I've got everything that I would take in here.
0:27:36 > 0:27:38- Just in the bum bag? - Yeah, just a wee tiny bag.
0:27:38 > 0:27:40Some water which I might not even take
0:27:40 > 0:27:43because quite often you can get some from streams or from aid stations.
0:27:43 > 0:27:46I've got waterproof trousers, a hat.
0:27:46 > 0:27:49And in here I've got an emergency blanket,
0:27:49 > 0:27:51and some food and some gloves.
0:27:51 > 0:27:55So is that the requirement for an event like this?
0:27:55 > 0:27:58Yeah, you usually need a compass, whistle, full body cover,
0:27:58 > 0:28:00enough food and drink should anything happen,
0:28:00 > 0:28:03- that's pretty much it. - It's pretty lightweight,
0:28:03 > 0:28:05it's a fifth of the weight that I'm carrying.
0:28:05 > 0:28:07Yeah, I mean, obviously the less you are carrying,
0:28:07 > 0:28:09the quicker you can cover the ground in theory.
0:28:09 > 0:28:12So it's a quick change of gear for Duncan
0:28:12 > 0:28:14to see what difference that makes.
0:28:14 > 0:28:17The challenges can happen at any point,
0:28:17 > 0:28:19you know that you'll have a dip,
0:28:19 > 0:28:23your energy levels might go or your motivation might go.
0:28:23 > 0:28:25But you just know that you'll get through it.
0:28:25 > 0:28:28I think I can kind of cope with the road stuff,
0:28:28 > 0:28:31how do you deal with something like that though
0:28:31 > 0:28:33because this is really mountain running?
0:28:33 > 0:28:36You're probably going to be walking rather than running up that,
0:28:36 > 0:28:38so it's a lot of pressing on your knees.
0:28:38 > 0:28:40I find not to look up at the top.
0:28:40 > 0:28:43I think that can just put you off when you realise
0:28:43 > 0:28:45how far you have got to go, leaning forward
0:28:45 > 0:28:49and I sometimes count in my head to make the time pass.
0:28:49 > 0:28:51OK, driving arms obviously?
0:28:51 > 0:28:53Yeah.
0:28:53 > 0:28:55Even the top people, you'll see them on the stuff that's
0:28:55 > 0:28:58just too sheer an incline, it does help to push off
0:28:58 > 0:29:02or you can put your hands in your waistband,
0:29:02 > 0:29:03whatever helps to get you up there.
0:29:05 > 0:29:07Oh, now we've crossed the stream.
0:29:07 > 0:29:11That reminds me, I think we probably need to stop for something to drink
0:29:11 > 0:29:13before you get too far ahead.
0:29:13 > 0:29:16This looks like a good place.
0:29:16 > 0:29:20I was told by a mountain runner that the best thing to do was
0:29:20 > 0:29:24to carry a water bottle and not a bladder,
0:29:24 > 0:29:27because you could refill them and it's much faster to refill in a race.
0:29:27 > 0:29:29Yeah, it's easier, yeah. Less leakage.
0:29:31 > 0:29:35So this is proper anything goes territory, isn't it?
0:29:35 > 0:29:36Yeah, this is hands on knees I think.
0:29:40 > 0:29:42Well, that seems like quite enough uphill.
0:29:42 > 0:29:47Lucy, what's the secret for - good excuse to stop -
0:29:47 > 0:29:48for descending?
0:29:48 > 0:29:51Brakes off, brain off is what they say.
0:29:51 > 0:29:53- What, just go for it? - Yeah, really loosen up,
0:29:53 > 0:29:56the minute you start tensing, you're likely to fall.
0:29:56 > 0:29:58I'm certainly not a good descender, but shall we give it a go
0:29:58 > 0:30:01- and see what happens? - Yeah, let's give it a go.
0:30:01 > 0:30:03So, lean forward and look far ahead.
0:30:03 > 0:30:05So you can't be landing on straight legs,
0:30:05 > 0:30:07you must be landing on bent legs.
0:30:07 > 0:30:09Yeah, so I think to kind of keep supple.
0:30:09 > 0:30:14If you can take off your natural instincts to be careful
0:30:14 > 0:30:17and go for it, as I say. Yeah, it's better people than me that are
0:30:17 > 0:30:22expert at it, people are going to laugh so much when they see this.
0:30:22 > 0:30:24Well, that's been an interesting introduction to me
0:30:24 > 0:30:28about hill running, something that I hadn't really considered before.
0:30:28 > 0:30:31But maybe I am inspired to go a little bit faster
0:30:31 > 0:30:33and a lot lighter on the hill.
0:30:39 > 0:30:41Back to the Glencoe Marathon.
0:30:41 > 0:30:44Many of the competitors have made their way up the glen
0:30:44 > 0:30:47and are now starting the gruelling ascent over the Devil's Staircase
0:30:47 > 0:30:49to Kinlochleven.
0:30:49 > 0:30:53Beautiful scenery, lovely part of the country to be in.
0:30:53 > 0:30:55Excellent. Good race.
0:30:55 > 0:30:58Is this the kind of worst bit to get out the way?
0:30:58 > 0:31:01I think so, I've heard a few guys saying it's the worst bit.
0:31:01 > 0:31:04It almost seems like you can't walk on it without falling over.
0:31:04 > 0:31:05Yeah, sure.
0:31:05 > 0:31:07I made the mistake of running up it last year,
0:31:07 > 0:31:09I am not doing it this year.
0:31:09 > 0:31:11Cheers.
0:31:11 > 0:31:14This must feel like a really great point to get to,
0:31:14 > 0:31:17because you've done all the hard slog up the Devil's Staircase
0:31:17 > 0:31:20and there's now a beautiful long kind of
0:31:20 > 0:31:23gentle descent through some absolutely terrific terrain,
0:31:23 > 0:31:26with just amazing scenery to look at as well.
0:31:26 > 0:31:29This must be really one of the highlights of the race I think.
0:31:29 > 0:31:33I actually found the Devil's Staircase much easier than I thought,
0:31:33 > 0:31:35and we're just starting the descent now.
0:31:35 > 0:31:37So, actually feeling OK at the moment.
0:31:37 > 0:31:40Very boggy at the start,
0:31:40 > 0:31:43That was the hardest thing I've ever run over.
0:31:43 > 0:31:46You're looking remarkably glamorous still.
0:31:46 > 0:31:48I've got spray tan!
0:31:48 > 0:31:52I keep looking round to see if my husband will pop up somewhere but...
0:31:52 > 0:31:55Did you get that done just for this today?
0:31:55 > 0:31:57I always get a spray tan on a Thursday.
0:31:57 > 0:31:59THEY LAUGH
0:31:59 > 0:32:02Took it very easy at the start.
0:32:02 > 0:32:06The boggy bit I knew from last year really saps you.
0:32:06 > 0:32:08So it's best just to tiptoe through that
0:32:08 > 0:32:12and take it really easy, I think, because the second half
0:32:12 > 0:32:16is a bit more undulating, there is a bit more of a grind you know.
0:32:16 > 0:32:20Even if it's sore for the first few miles you soon get into a rhythm
0:32:20 > 0:32:23and you often... I think people surprise themselves with
0:32:23 > 0:32:25how they can get through these things no problem.
0:32:25 > 0:32:28Lovely day for a run.
0:32:28 > 0:32:31Like today you'll get very, very highs
0:32:31 > 0:32:33and quite a few people get lows.
0:32:33 > 0:32:36Your emotions can go up and down a lot - it's brilliant.
0:32:36 > 0:32:39It's nice to have a chance to see the view!
0:32:39 > 0:32:42What you learn to do is you need to eat and drink a lot more often
0:32:42 > 0:32:43than you'd normally get.
0:32:43 > 0:32:46Like hillwalking, if you go out and you've not eaten you can be tired,
0:32:46 > 0:32:48but if you take the running aspect,
0:32:48 > 0:32:50you've got to have the energy on-board to keep on going.
0:32:50 > 0:32:52- Is your knee all right? - Yeah, fine, aye.
0:32:52 > 0:32:55At the front the fastest runners are now pounding through Kinlochleven.
0:32:55 > 0:32:57This is the halfway mark
0:32:57 > 0:33:00and local competitor Alan Ross is still out in the lead,
0:33:00 > 0:33:03just a short distance ahead of his rivals.
0:33:03 > 0:33:06He runs through this landscape almost daily.
0:33:06 > 0:33:07I run to and from work,
0:33:07 > 0:33:09so that's about three-and-a-half miles there
0:33:09 > 0:33:11and three-and-a-half miles back,
0:33:11 > 0:33:14and I can extend it actually by going up the hill beside us there
0:33:14 > 0:33:18to get back home, so... it's not a huge number of miles.
0:33:18 > 0:33:21I'm able to get a long run in at the weekend -
0:33:21 > 0:33:24that's probably the mainstay, plus just the regular miles,
0:33:24 > 0:33:28and maybe one session that's a bit towards working on speed.
0:33:28 > 0:33:31And lots of the training runs are quite hilly anyway,
0:33:31 > 0:33:34so probably, I don't know, not more than 50 miles a week.
0:33:34 > 0:33:36Christopher Darling and James Crozier
0:33:36 > 0:33:38are just 18 seconds behind Alan
0:33:38 > 0:33:41as they all run out of the town to the start of
0:33:41 > 0:33:45the second big climb of this course, up and over the Mamores Ridge.
0:33:46 > 0:33:50Behind them Michael Tweedley is pushing hard in fourth place.
0:33:50 > 0:33:52The main thing's just the whole training that you do
0:33:52 > 0:33:54before the event.
0:33:54 > 0:33:56The event sort of just...
0:33:56 > 0:33:58It's, yeah, it's anti-climax really.
0:33:58 > 0:34:01I think it's the big build-up to it that I enjoy.
0:34:01 > 0:34:06In the women's race Lucy Colquhoun has a seven minute lead,
0:34:06 > 0:34:09and is right up there amongst the fastest men.
0:34:09 > 0:34:12Kim Stewart is currently in second place for the women
0:34:12 > 0:34:16with a three minute lead over third place Debbie Martin-Consani.
0:34:16 > 0:34:19But whatever their position, the runners we spoke to
0:34:19 > 0:34:21were all agreed on one thing -
0:34:21 > 0:34:24the wonderful setting of this mountain marathon.
0:34:24 > 0:34:27It's more an adventure possibly.
0:34:27 > 0:34:29It's the freedom of it I think.
0:34:29 > 0:34:32You know, you're just running around, you have got a bit of water
0:34:32 > 0:34:34and a bit of food in your pack
0:34:34 > 0:34:36and you just go and you test yourself, you push yourself.
0:34:36 > 0:34:38I think it's the challenge of it.
0:34:38 > 0:34:40On here you've got to look - everything's different,
0:34:40 > 0:34:42every step's different.
0:34:42 > 0:34:43It is easy.
0:34:43 > 0:34:47I only heard about this last week and it was just music to my ears.
0:34:47 > 0:34:50The last one of the season and probably the most scenic setting,
0:34:50 > 0:34:52one of the most scenic settings in the world.
0:34:52 > 0:34:54This is the first time I've ever run through here.
0:34:54 > 0:34:58The Glencoe marathon looks set to become a classic mountain event
0:34:58 > 0:35:02and a permanent fixture in the Scottish racing calendar.
0:35:02 > 0:35:05- Looking good.- Someone who took part in the inaugural event last year
0:35:05 > 0:35:08is Tracey Innes, who's travelled over from Aberdeenshire.
0:35:08 > 0:35:11Every single minute last year was just stunning, so I really loved it.
0:35:11 > 0:35:13It was a really good atmosphere as well.
0:35:13 > 0:35:15Lots of people chatting, good support,
0:35:15 > 0:35:17so I just enjoyed the whole thing really.
0:35:18 > 0:35:22The biggest battle for any event is just beating your mind
0:35:22 > 0:35:24and I kind of feel like, in this event,
0:35:24 > 0:35:27you don't have those mind battles cos it's so stunning.
0:35:27 > 0:35:28I don't really know...
0:35:28 > 0:35:32I didn't have that battle where I usually do at the end of a marathon
0:35:32 > 0:35:36of keep going, keep focused cos I just enjoyed it all so much.
0:35:36 > 0:35:37Can't explain it.
0:35:38 > 0:35:41I'm just hoping to get to the end in one piece today.
0:35:41 > 0:35:43No time in mind.
0:35:44 > 0:35:45How are you feeling?
0:35:45 > 0:35:48Good. Halfway point.
0:35:48 > 0:35:51Tough on the knees on the way down. Good though, good.
0:35:51 > 0:35:53- Feeling good?- Oh, yeah.
0:35:54 > 0:35:56I would say I am probably a lot tired than
0:35:56 > 0:35:58I expected to be at this point.
0:35:59 > 0:36:01Chris McDougall, the guy who wrote Born To Run,
0:36:01 > 0:36:04says that we are programmed to run, it's what we have been doing
0:36:04 > 0:36:06since the dawn of time. And I really believe in that.
0:36:06 > 0:36:10And it's a really good solitary... gliding along, taking in the scenery,
0:36:10 > 0:36:12but also challenging yourself physically as well.
0:36:12 > 0:36:15It's the closest that I think you can be to totally free.
0:36:17 > 0:36:20Many competitors have now reached this halfway point,
0:36:20 > 0:36:24while the fastest are now well into the next section on the Mamores.
0:36:24 > 0:36:26We will be back with them shortly.
0:36:26 > 0:36:30First we are joining Cameron McNeish for his monthly wild walk,
0:36:30 > 0:36:33and this one is just a little bit unusual.
0:36:41 > 0:36:45There is an old music hall song that goes along the lines of...
0:36:45 > 0:36:48# Where the heather bells are blooming
0:36:48 > 0:36:50# Outside Granny's door
0:36:50 > 0:36:54# There as laddies they would play in days of long ago
0:36:54 > 0:36:57# 'Neath the shadow of Ben Bhraggie
0:36:57 > 0:37:01# By Golspie's lordly stane
0:37:01 > 0:37:07# How I wish that I could see my granny's heilan' hame. #
0:37:07 > 0:37:11I have always found that song to be very evocative, particularly
0:37:11 > 0:37:15because my own granny's home was a tenement in Govan in Glasgow,
0:37:15 > 0:37:18where heather bells were very few and far between.
0:37:18 > 0:37:22But it has encouraged me to come to Golspie in Sutherland
0:37:22 > 0:37:25for my wild walk, and it is a wild walk with a difference.
0:37:25 > 0:37:28I want to combine some coastal walking,
0:37:28 > 0:37:32a walk through a lovely woodland with a visit to the summit
0:37:32 > 0:37:36of Ben Bhraggie where I am going to visit Golspie's very own Mannie.
0:37:38 > 0:37:41HE HUMS
0:37:46 > 0:37:49We are following a lovely old path that runs north from Golspie
0:37:49 > 0:37:52all the way to Brora. And I have to confess
0:37:52 > 0:37:54I really enjoy coastal walking.
0:37:54 > 0:37:59I think coastal walking and mountain walking have an awful lot in common.
0:37:59 > 0:38:02A lot of the same elements - the wide open skies,
0:38:02 > 0:38:06the sense of wildness, the breeze on your face.
0:38:06 > 0:38:09And of course what you don't get mountain walking is that...
0:38:09 > 0:38:11HE SNIFFS ..lovely smell of seaweed.
0:38:19 > 0:38:23Welcome to the grandest house in the Highlands,
0:38:23 > 0:38:24or so it has been described.
0:38:24 > 0:38:26This is Dunrobin Castle,
0:38:26 > 0:38:29which is the family seat of the Clan Sutherland.
0:38:29 > 0:38:32Its origins go way back to the Middle Ages, but most
0:38:32 > 0:38:36of the present building was built in the middle of the 19th century.
0:38:37 > 0:38:41There are apparently 189 rooms inside, which makes it
0:38:41 > 0:38:44not only the grandest house in the Scottish Highlands,
0:38:44 > 0:38:47but the biggest house in the Scottish Highlands.
0:38:50 > 0:38:53The Sutherlands are quite an interesting bunch too -
0:38:53 > 0:38:55they sided with the British Government
0:38:55 > 0:38:57during the Jacobite uprisings.
0:38:57 > 0:39:00And later on, the first Duke of Sutherland gained quite
0:39:00 > 0:39:04a notorious reputation for himself for the part
0:39:04 > 0:39:07he played in the Highland Clearances, but more on that later.
0:39:17 > 0:39:20I have resisted the temptation of a tour round
0:39:20 > 0:39:23the rooms of Dunrobin Castle. And I am glad I have, because
0:39:23 > 0:39:27I would like to spend a bit more time following this little river.
0:39:27 > 0:39:30It's the Golspie Burn, but it is known locally as the Big Burn.
0:39:30 > 0:39:33And while it is quite gentle and peaceful down here,
0:39:33 > 0:39:38higher up it becomes a series of roaring, cascading falls.
0:39:38 > 0:39:40And I have always liked waterfalls.
0:39:44 > 0:39:46I have never walked up by this burn before,
0:39:46 > 0:39:49but I am really quite taken by how beautiful it is.
0:39:49 > 0:39:51And how fresh it feels
0:39:51 > 0:39:54considering this is the sort of fag-end of autumn.
0:39:54 > 0:39:58But there is a wonderful, wonderful mixture of deciduous trees here.
0:39:58 > 0:40:01There is oak, and there is birch, there is rowan,
0:40:01 > 0:40:04and there is some aspen. And all the time there is this lovely
0:40:04 > 0:40:07little burn just tinkling along below it all.
0:40:17 > 0:40:20Wow, this is wonderful, what an impressive gorge,
0:40:20 > 0:40:22it's almost like the Himalaya.
0:40:26 > 0:40:31You know, the poet Norman Nicholson once suggested that any poet,
0:40:31 > 0:40:35no matter how poor his attainments, can write about a waterfall.
0:40:35 > 0:40:38In a sense I know what he is talking about,
0:40:38 > 0:40:42there is something about the imagery of a Highland burn or a waterfall.
0:40:42 > 0:40:44Would you listen to that,
0:40:44 > 0:40:48that is the voice of the mountain talking to anyone who'll listen.
0:41:03 > 0:41:05For as long as I can remember,
0:41:05 > 0:41:08the people of the north-east of Scotland have referred to the statue
0:41:08 > 0:41:13on top of the Ben Bhraggie, or Ben Vraggie, as the Mannie.
0:41:13 > 0:41:18His name was George Granville Leveson-Gower,
0:41:18 > 0:41:22and in 1875, he married the Countess of Sutherland
0:41:22 > 0:41:24to become the first Duke of Sutherland.
0:41:24 > 0:41:29Almost immediately, he started to clear people from the clan lands
0:41:29 > 0:41:34to make way for sheep, aided and abetted by his two factors -
0:41:34 > 0:41:36James Loch and Patrick Sellar.
0:41:36 > 0:41:40Now it wasn't the fact that he was clearing people from the lands -
0:41:40 > 0:41:43that was happening all around the Highlands -
0:41:43 > 0:41:45but it was the manner that which people were evicted.
0:41:45 > 0:41:48Reports from the times say that these evictions were
0:41:48 > 0:41:50particularly vicious.
0:41:59 > 0:42:04Ah, this is Lawson's Well - a natural spring.
0:42:08 > 0:42:14It was apparently built in 1837, for the workmen who were carrying
0:42:14 > 0:42:17the statue of the Duke of Sutherland up to the top of the hill here.
0:42:17 > 0:42:20And Lawson was the name of the engineer in charge,
0:42:20 > 0:42:23so here we have it - Lawson's Well.
0:42:29 > 0:42:32I love the concept of trails and tracks on the hill
0:42:32 > 0:42:35being used for multi-purpose activities like this.
0:42:35 > 0:42:38The routes up here on Ben Bhraggie are used by a lot by walkers,
0:42:38 > 0:42:41but they are also used a lot by mountain bikers.
0:42:41 > 0:42:45And they all make up part of the Highland Wild Cat Trails,
0:42:45 > 0:42:48mountain bike trails that were established in 2005
0:42:48 > 0:42:53and appear to me to be coming more and more popular every year.
0:42:53 > 0:42:55Oh, wow! Impressive!
0:43:08 > 0:43:13A number of years ago, a friend of mine - Councillor Sandy Lindsay
0:43:13 > 0:43:16from Glenmore - proposed to a Highland Council that this monument
0:43:16 > 0:43:18should be removed
0:43:18 > 0:43:20because of its associations with the Highland Clearances.
0:43:20 > 0:43:22Other councillors didn't agree with him and said
0:43:22 > 0:43:25that is the very reason it should stay -
0:43:25 > 0:43:27because it reminds people of the Clearances.
0:43:27 > 0:43:31So Sandy then compromised by suggesting the whole kaboosh should
0:43:31 > 0:43:37be taken down and put up somewhere in the grounds of Dunrobin Castle.
0:43:37 > 0:43:39I can see the arguments on both sides,
0:43:39 > 0:43:42but I think Sandy's compromise was quite a good idea.
0:43:42 > 0:43:46And I don't think I would cry if this was taken down to Dunrobin Castle.
0:43:47 > 0:43:49But at the end of the day,
0:43:49 > 0:43:52what's the Highlands without a good controversy?
0:43:59 > 0:44:01Welcome back to the Glencoe Marathon.
0:44:01 > 0:44:04Competitors have been on the go for over two hours now.
0:44:04 > 0:44:06And most are across the Devil's Staircase and are heading
0:44:06 > 0:44:10down towards Kinlochleven, the fastest are even further on.
0:44:10 > 0:44:13They are now well into the Mamores, and they are racing hard.
0:44:15 > 0:44:19Still out in front is local runner Alan Ross from Lochaber,
0:44:19 > 0:44:23he's led for most of the race but he is currently finding it tough.
0:44:23 > 0:44:25Coming out of Kinlochleven, I was thinking,
0:44:25 > 0:44:28right well, I'll probably get passed by a lot of people from now on.
0:44:28 > 0:44:31- CAMERAMAN:- Hey, how's it going? - Not so good.
0:44:31 > 0:44:33I guess you can't see pain on the outside. HE LAUGHS
0:44:33 > 0:44:35But no, it was tough, a really tough race.
0:44:35 > 0:44:39Only seconds behind, pushing Alan hard, Michael Tweedley has passed
0:44:39 > 0:44:44James Crozier and Christopher Darling, he's now in second place.
0:44:44 > 0:44:49Aged 42, he thinks that his best running days are still to come.
0:44:49 > 0:44:52I don't know for sure but I have heard a lot that the older you are,
0:44:52 > 0:44:54the more sort of endurance you have got.
0:44:54 > 0:44:57We were just talking on the way down on the last leg there,
0:44:57 > 0:44:59and I said to the guy there about the West Highland Way.
0:44:59 > 0:45:03And the guy that was in front said leave it until I am older,
0:45:03 > 0:45:04I will have more endurance.
0:45:04 > 0:45:07Holding on to third place is James Crozier,
0:45:07 > 0:45:11an amazing achievement for someone who only took up running last year.
0:45:12 > 0:45:15Tackling the gruelling climb into the Mamores,
0:45:15 > 0:45:18he needs something to keep his mind off the pain.
0:45:18 > 0:45:22Kept my music on and that seems to help me,
0:45:22 > 0:45:24at certain stages when I'm really suffering.
0:45:24 > 0:45:27My first ever race was last year, it was the Glencoe Marathon.
0:45:27 > 0:45:30I saw it in a magazine, and I saw a picture and I thought that
0:45:30 > 0:45:32looked absolutely stunning.
0:45:32 > 0:45:34So I thought, I have got to try that.
0:45:34 > 0:45:38At this stage in any race of this length, the body is hurting,
0:45:38 > 0:45:40and the mind is ready to give up.
0:45:40 > 0:45:44And although the Glencoe Marathon is only in its second year,
0:45:44 > 0:45:48it's already gaining a reputation as one of the hardest in Britain.
0:45:48 > 0:45:52Those who did it last time know exactly what it's like.
0:45:52 > 0:45:54It was a proper struggle, and basically
0:45:54 > 0:45:57I couldn't walk properly for about a week without pain.
0:45:57 > 0:46:00I am doing it again because my mum passed away in the last year,
0:46:00 > 0:46:03so I just thought, last year it was...
0:46:03 > 0:46:06I just thought I would do it again in sort of a tribute to her.
0:46:06 > 0:46:08As a celebration as opposed to...
0:46:10 > 0:46:12It's for positive reasons this year.
0:46:12 > 0:46:16Try and get some positive to come from a pretty bad negative.
0:46:16 > 0:46:17CROWD CHEER
0:46:17 > 0:46:18Because it is for a good cause,
0:46:18 > 0:46:21there is plenty of people in the world that are worse off than you.
0:46:21 > 0:46:24And in relative terms, it will be over in a couple of hours and that's
0:46:24 > 0:46:27nothing, a couple of hours of pain, in the grand scheme of things, is
0:46:27 > 0:46:31nothing compared to how much other people are suffering in the world.
0:46:31 > 0:46:34That's an inspiring thought for those facing the most
0:46:34 > 0:46:37demanding section in this race.
0:46:37 > 0:46:41The ascent in to the Mamores is very steep indeed, yeah.
0:46:41 > 0:46:44So again, I think there will be only the elite,
0:46:44 > 0:46:47the more hardy runners running up that.
0:46:47 > 0:46:50It's a wee bit higher as well, it goes up to about 300 metres.
0:46:50 > 0:46:54Devil's Staircase is about 250 and it is,
0:46:54 > 0:46:56it certainly looks quite a bit steeper.
0:46:56 > 0:46:58- A bit warm. - CAMERAMAN:- Halfway gone.
0:46:58 > 0:47:00Halfway, I know. Yippee!
0:47:00 > 0:47:02Do you know what, I have done a few road marathons
0:47:02 > 0:47:04and I think it is just really different in the hills.
0:47:04 > 0:47:07I think the biggest battle for any event is just beating your mind.
0:47:07 > 0:47:09I kind of feel like in this event you don't have those
0:47:09 > 0:47:11mind battles because it's so stunning.
0:47:11 > 0:47:16- Hi there... CAMERAMAN:- Smiling.- So far, good day.
0:47:18 > 0:47:20Freedom! Oh, I'm happy.
0:47:20 > 0:47:23Can I ask, is this the right way?
0:47:23 > 0:47:26Last month I cycled Land's End to John O'Groats,
0:47:26 > 0:47:30and I booked that the same time as I booked this, earlier in the year.
0:47:30 > 0:47:33So I thought if I am going to do another marathon,
0:47:33 > 0:47:34let's make it a hard one.
0:47:34 > 0:47:37Once you get on the road, on the track bits, it's OK.
0:47:37 > 0:47:41Well, tiring. I've got to go.
0:47:41 > 0:47:42- Take care.- Good luck, man.
0:47:44 > 0:47:46So we're here on the West Highland Way,
0:47:46 > 0:47:49about nine kilometres from Fort William.
0:47:49 > 0:47:51And it's exactly three hours into the race,
0:47:51 > 0:47:55and the first runners have just appeared over the brow of the hill.
0:47:55 > 0:47:59Fine going, good timing, and now Glen Nevis into the finish.
0:48:00 > 0:48:03Leading out here is Alan Ross,
0:48:03 > 0:48:07and being chased down by Mike Tweedley,
0:48:07 > 0:48:10one of Scotland's finest climbers.
0:48:10 > 0:48:13Well done, Alan, keep going. Fantastic.
0:48:13 > 0:48:15So, Mike proving not only can he use his arms,
0:48:15 > 0:48:19he can certainly use his legs. Great running, Mike, keep going.
0:48:19 > 0:48:22Mike doing what many of the runners do - carrying the water bottles,
0:48:22 > 0:48:24it's much easier to carry them and dip.
0:48:24 > 0:48:28It's important to keep them just in touch
0:48:28 > 0:48:30for the last few miles of the race.
0:48:33 > 0:48:35On the West Highland Way now is James Crozier,
0:48:35 > 0:48:39who was actually in the lead group out of Glencoe at the very,
0:48:39 > 0:48:45very start of the race. He has been overtaken but he's third place now.
0:48:45 > 0:48:46Looking pretty strong.
0:48:48 > 0:48:55And he is about a kilometre behind the leading two.
0:48:57 > 0:48:58But at the moment,
0:48:58 > 0:49:02he's at least 500, 600 metres ahead of everybody else.
0:49:02 > 0:49:04Not worrying about the wet feet,
0:49:04 > 0:49:07just going straight through everything now.
0:49:07 > 0:49:10Not far ahead is a welcome sight -
0:49:10 > 0:49:14the final refuelling stop of the race and a touch of luxury.
0:49:14 > 0:49:16We have got the Gucci cheeseboard,
0:49:16 > 0:49:19this is known as one of the most exciting check points.
0:49:19 > 0:49:21Look at that cheeseboard, look at that - Wensleydale,
0:49:21 > 0:49:23Scottish cheese, you name it.
0:49:23 > 0:49:25And we come around here now onto the sweet board.
0:49:25 > 0:49:28Every type of sweet, there's an oasis of goodies.
0:49:28 > 0:49:31Can we get you a High5, water, Lucozade, Coke?
0:49:31 > 0:49:34- Water, please.- Water, please. Get the water ready, water.
0:49:34 > 0:49:37Dip in here, please, dip in here. Thank you very much. Well done.
0:49:39 > 0:49:41Alan Ross is the first to this point.
0:49:41 > 0:49:43This is the bit I know, so.
0:49:43 > 0:49:47But Michael Tweedley is right behind, and decides not to stop.
0:49:47 > 0:49:52He's the first to head up the final hill, but Alan's not despondent.
0:49:52 > 0:49:55When Michael caught me it was quite good cos we chatted a bit,
0:49:55 > 0:49:57swapped a little bit of food and drink and stuff like that
0:49:57 > 0:49:59and sort of encouraged each other.
0:49:59 > 0:50:02We were both aiming for a time to get under four hours,
0:50:02 > 0:50:03so, yeah, we were definitely hoping
0:50:03 > 0:50:06to drag each other over the last climb.
0:50:06 > 0:50:08James Crozier is still in third place,
0:50:08 > 0:50:11but the race is taking its toll.
0:50:11 > 0:50:14I've got cramp. I am starting to get cramp now.
0:50:14 > 0:50:17But I am doing all right. I had a rough spell coming
0:50:17 > 0:50:20out of Kinlochleven, so for about ten minutes I was really rough.
0:50:20 > 0:50:24But I am feeling a lot better now so hopefully I'll get to the end.
0:50:24 > 0:50:27- Chicken soup here? - Right thanks, son.
0:50:27 > 0:50:29Hey, how's it going?
0:50:29 > 0:50:31All right. Nice day.
0:50:31 > 0:50:34Still with a commanding lead in the women's race is Lucy Colquhoun.
0:50:34 > 0:50:37She's powering over the ground.
0:50:37 > 0:50:42So, Lucy, who thought she wouldn't do very well, is well out in front.
0:50:42 > 0:50:45Maybe it's just all strategy to put everyone off
0:50:45 > 0:50:47and when she digs in it all comes -
0:50:47 > 0:50:51years and years of trail running experience.
0:50:51 > 0:50:53A nice smile for us.
0:50:53 > 0:50:54Well done, Lucy.
0:50:57 > 0:50:59Great.
0:50:59 > 0:51:02I never pay any attention to other people.
0:51:02 > 0:51:04You can't change how much preparation they've done,
0:51:04 > 0:51:07so you need to turn up on the start line knowing you are in the
0:51:07 > 0:51:10best position possible. You can only control what you control.
0:51:10 > 0:51:14So, who turns up, and what their preparation has been is beyond you.
0:51:14 > 0:51:17How do you keep yourself going on a long, a long distance race?
0:51:17 > 0:51:19I've often got music in my head, I don't tend to run with music
0:51:19 > 0:51:21but I can have a tune going round.
0:51:21 > 0:51:25But I count as well, I quite often count up to 1,000 over and over.
0:51:25 > 0:51:27And just think about things,
0:51:27 > 0:51:32sometimes as trivial as when I'm going to have the next jelly baby.
0:51:32 > 0:51:35And, you know, you are distracted by the scenery, I find that helps,
0:51:35 > 0:51:38but I don't look at my watch, I am not worried about time.
0:51:38 > 0:51:39Yeah, just keep going.
0:51:40 > 0:51:43How many?
0:51:43 > 0:51:46So some way behind Lucy Colquhoun is the second lady in,
0:51:46 > 0:51:51Debbie Martin-Consani, and she is looking fine,
0:51:51 > 0:51:53looking very, very fast, strong.
0:51:55 > 0:51:57Go on, Debbie.
0:51:57 > 0:52:00I've a full-time job, I have got a child, I'm a wife, you know,
0:52:00 > 0:52:02so I kind of fit running around that,
0:52:02 > 0:52:03but, yeah, and I take it seriously.
0:52:03 > 0:52:06I traditionally do ultra distance running,
0:52:06 > 0:52:10so a marathon is a bit on the short side for me to perform really well.
0:52:10 > 0:52:13I run for GB for the 24 hour racing,
0:52:13 > 0:52:16and I have just done a race in the Lake District,
0:52:16 > 0:52:20which 105 miles with a lot of cheeky ascents.
0:52:20 > 0:52:23So, today will be short and sharp and hard.
0:52:23 > 0:52:27Kim Stewart, now behind Debbie, is currently in third place
0:52:27 > 0:52:29for the women. How are you getting on?
0:52:29 > 0:52:32- Oh, I went on a nice little detour. - Oh, no.
0:52:32 > 0:52:35And she has been making this tough race even harder.
0:52:35 > 0:52:39There was about eight of us who went, added an extra mile,
0:52:39 > 0:52:42- a little loop on. - Oh, really? Oh, my goodness.
0:52:42 > 0:52:45- That was a bit demoralising, to say the least.- Oh!
0:52:45 > 0:52:47- How are you doing? - Good, thanks, cheers.
0:52:47 > 0:52:50I've not done a lot of races, I've only done a couple of races
0:52:50 > 0:52:55and that's the extent of my experience.
0:52:55 > 0:52:56Not very much.
0:52:56 > 0:52:58Marks out of ten for it so far?
0:52:58 > 0:53:01- It's lovely.- Ten.
0:53:01 > 0:53:04The uphills aren't too bad cos I'm not fit enough to run up them,
0:53:04 > 0:53:07so I kind of take them leisurely, relatively leisurely.
0:53:07 > 0:53:10But trying to run down the hills is pretty tough, watching your footing.
0:53:10 > 0:53:13I have seen a few people fall last year and it was pretty scary,
0:53:13 > 0:53:15so hopefully that won't happen to me.
0:53:15 > 0:53:16How's it going?
0:53:16 > 0:53:20How's it going up to that hill? The cheek of you.
0:53:20 > 0:53:26This is my tenth marathon, nine of which have been on roads.
0:53:26 > 0:53:28So London, New York,
0:53:28 > 0:53:31and another...the five in Scotland.
0:53:31 > 0:53:32The training's not been great,
0:53:32 > 0:53:37but, yeah, I will get round anyway, that's for sure.
0:53:37 > 0:53:40How do you find that hill? It's just horrible, isn't it? Brutal?
0:53:40 > 0:53:42It has its ups and downs.
0:53:44 > 0:53:45How are you getting on?
0:53:45 > 0:53:48It's tough. I thought I was three quarters of the way there but...
0:53:48 > 0:53:506.2 miles to go.
0:53:52 > 0:53:56Happy days, yeah, I feel good so it's awesome.
0:53:56 > 0:53:58Out at the front and with the end almost in sight,
0:53:58 > 0:53:59the lead has changed again.
0:53:59 > 0:54:01- How are you feeling?- Good.
0:54:01 > 0:54:04During the descent, Alan Ross overtook Michael Tweedley
0:54:04 > 0:54:08to regain first place and it's looking pretty good for him.
0:54:08 > 0:54:13And into the finish, Alan takes top spot, what an amazing run from him.
0:54:13 > 0:54:16Oh, Alan, I am not even going to bother talking to you just now,
0:54:16 > 0:54:17I am going to let you catch your breath.
0:54:17 > 0:54:21But look behind you, you are on the video, well done, Alan, well done.
0:54:21 > 0:54:24So, Alan Ross, first over the line, that's a fantastic result.
0:54:24 > 0:54:26Yeah, good. Better than expected, really.
0:54:26 > 0:54:29I mean, if I hadn't come in that position
0:54:29 > 0:54:31maybe I would have felt a bit worse, but, no.
0:54:31 > 0:54:33I was aiming for under four hours and I think I got that.
0:54:33 > 0:54:36So I am happy, it was a nice route, really enjoyable, actually.
0:54:36 > 0:54:39Did you have any sort of inkling that you might come first,
0:54:39 > 0:54:40or is this a complete surprise to you?
0:54:40 > 0:54:43I really didn't know what to expect.
0:54:43 > 0:54:45I looked at the times from last year
0:54:45 > 0:54:48and I guessed I could get close to those.
0:54:48 > 0:54:52So I guess I knew with the right day I might have done OK.
0:54:52 > 0:54:56Just 19 seconds after Alan, Michael Tweedley comes in second.
0:54:56 > 0:54:58Good work, well done.
0:54:58 > 0:55:01- So, second place today...- Yeah. - ..which is a terrific result.
0:55:01 > 0:55:03I am really chuffed, actually.
0:55:03 > 0:55:07I had a certain time in my head to do and I got it so it was good, yeah.
0:55:07 > 0:55:11I wasn't too bothered about positions, it was just times,
0:55:11 > 0:55:13but second is pretty good.
0:55:13 > 0:55:15Come on!
0:55:15 > 0:55:18On the final woodland stretch, an exhausted James Crozier
0:55:18 > 0:55:20is grinding out the last few yards.
0:55:20 > 0:55:24But that won't worry him as he takes a well-deserved third place.
0:55:24 > 0:55:27After Kinlochleven I went through a really bad period,
0:55:27 > 0:55:31about just as you got to the top after Kinlochleven.
0:55:31 > 0:55:34I thought, "I am not going to be able to finish the race."
0:55:34 > 0:55:37But I was just fuelling the issue, so once I got some fuel down me
0:55:37 > 0:55:39I managed to recover a bit and then keep going.
0:55:39 > 0:55:45But you never forget that last five or six miles, it's horrible.
0:55:45 > 0:55:48In the women's race, no-one has threatened Lucy Colquhoun.
0:55:48 > 0:55:52She's not only the fastest female but the sixth fastest over all.
0:55:52 > 0:55:55What a great run she has had today.
0:55:55 > 0:55:56First lady over the line
0:55:56 > 0:56:00and not too far behind the first guy, which is amazing.
0:56:00 > 0:56:02Yeah, I'm quite surprised.
0:56:02 > 0:56:05I didn't have any expectations, it was just a fun day out.
0:56:05 > 0:56:08I think I entered it last week, it was just nice to get out
0:56:08 > 0:56:12and stretch my legs and I enjoyed being back in Glencoe.
0:56:12 > 0:56:1524 minutes behind Lucy, Debbie Martin-Consani
0:56:15 > 0:56:18is the next woman to complete the course.
0:56:18 > 0:56:20- You got second place today...- Yeah, I think so.- ..that must feel great?
0:56:20 > 0:56:23I thought I was third all the way until I finished,
0:56:23 > 0:56:25and then found out I was second, so.
0:56:25 > 0:56:29And second to Lucy Colquhoun is pretty much a win in my books, so.
0:56:29 > 0:56:32I feel really, really good, I really, really enjoyed it.
0:56:32 > 0:56:35I had a great race, I felt really strong throughout.
0:56:35 > 0:56:38I didn't particularly like the first eight miles.
0:56:38 > 0:56:41My motto is, I don't do mud, I don't do cross-country.
0:56:41 > 0:56:44So when I was up to my knees in mud, but I just got on with it,
0:56:44 > 0:56:46and then as soon as I hit the trails, I came into my own,
0:56:46 > 0:56:49so I kind of started picking off people thereafter.
0:56:49 > 0:56:51But I really, really enjoyed it.
0:56:51 > 0:56:53So confirmation of those results.
0:56:53 > 0:56:57For the men, in third place, despite suffering from cramp,
0:56:57 > 0:57:03James Crozier completed the race in 3 hours 59 minutes and 28 seconds.
0:57:03 > 0:57:08Second place went to Michael Tweedley in a time of 3:45:09.
0:57:08 > 0:57:12Just 19 seconds faster, Lochaber man Alan Ross
0:57:12 > 0:57:16came in first in 3:44:50.
0:57:16 > 0:57:18You are just doing as well as you can, but actually it's quite
0:57:18 > 0:57:20a lonely race. So, I was out basically by myself
0:57:20 > 0:57:22for a lot of the time, but, yeah,
0:57:22 > 0:57:25I mean, I got a rhythm, it's nice runable countryside.
0:57:25 > 0:57:28For the women with the time of 4:45:11, third place went to
0:57:28 > 0:57:31Kim Stewart, and she will certainly be celebrating -
0:57:31 > 0:57:34this was her first ever marathon.
0:57:34 > 0:57:39Debbie Martin-Consani came in second in 4:31:40.
0:57:39 > 0:57:43And coming in first for the women and sixth overall
0:57:43 > 0:57:48was the unstoppable Lucy Colquhoun with the time of 4:07:13.
0:57:48 > 0:57:50I am just doing it for fun, not competitively.
0:57:50 > 0:57:55Didn't look at my watch once the whole time, and, yeah, just enjoyed
0:57:55 > 0:57:58running and quite hard work at the beginning, it was very wet underfoot.
0:57:58 > 0:58:01But the last four miles is just all runable downhill,
0:58:01 > 0:58:03so it was a nice day out.
0:58:03 > 0:58:05Well, that's it for this month's Adventure Show.
0:58:05 > 0:58:08We'll be taking a break over the festive period.
0:58:08 > 0:58:09But we have two special programmes
0:58:09 > 0:58:12with Cameron McNeish to look forward to.
0:58:12 > 0:58:14I have often said that Scotland
0:58:14 > 0:58:17is the most beautiful country in the world,
0:58:17 > 0:58:20and on this, my latest long walk from coast to coast,
0:58:20 > 0:58:23I have had that thought confirmed over and over again.
0:58:24 > 0:58:27Watch out for that just after Christmas.
0:58:27 > 0:58:29Meanwhile, I'll see you in the New Year.
0:58:29 > 0:58:31Until then, bye for now.