Skye Camanachd Player Finishes Third In West Highland Way Race! | |
25 June 2012 Skye Camanachd player Donnie Campbell finished third in last weekend’s West Highland Way Race and he spoke to www.skyecamanachd.com about his experience. We caught up with Donnie Campbell on the following Monday morning, with the weekend’s exertions still fresh in his mind. “I’m getting there,” was his modest response when asked about his well-being. “I have some aches and I’m still pretty stiff but I’m doing some loosening up exercises to help.” The 2012 West Highland Way Race competitors set off from Milngavie at 1am on Saturday 23 June 2012 and the race, along a particularly challenging terrain, ended 95.28 miles later in Fort William. Campbell crossed the finishing line in a superb time of 17 hours, 51 minutes and 20 seconds. Or in other words, just after ten to seven on Saturday evening. There were a total 188 entries although injury reduced the starting field to 172. The grueling nature of the race and the difficult weather conditions throughout meant that 119 runners, two thirds of those who set-off, made it across the finishing line. The running coach and personal trainer from Skye had hoped for a top ten finish in this energy-sapping event and did not imagine coming so far up the field. “I’m pretty shocked to finish third to be honest,” he said. “I had hoped for a top ten finish and I would have been really happy with that as there were a lot of good runners in the race.” Campbell was in 8th place after the first stage at Balmaha. He climbed to 7th place at Beinglas and 6th place at Auchtertyre. His steady progress continued as he moved up to 5th place at Bridge of Orchy and remained 5th as the race reached the Glencoe stage. That completed 70.16 miles of the 95.28 mile race. However news broke to listeners of Cuillin FM’s Camanachd Corner during Saturday afternoon’s coverage of the shinty match between Skye Camanachd and Lochcarron that Campbell had reached third place at the Kinlochleven stage of the race. This was all part of the race plan if finishing the first stage in eighth place can be considered making a slower start. “I started off at a slower pace and tried to work my way through the field. I was always looking to get ahead of the runner in front of me and I was chasing third place right up to the last 15 miles. The conditions though were something else. We were running into horizontal rain and it was very windy. Under-foot conditions were difficult too and the heavy rain left the roads like rivers. When I reached third place I found that Paul Giblin in second place was just too far ahead of me though and the underfoot conditions were quite difficult at that particular time. The race winner Terry Conway finished in 15 hours, 39 minutes, 15 seconds which is just an amazing time and a new race record.” When asked about the most challenging section of the race, Campbell is in no doubt. “The section of the race to Kinlochleven was the toughest. There is a drop at the Devil’s Staircase and then a rise to contend with followed by a forestry section on the way to Fort William which was very difficult to run on.” Donnie Campbell is no stranger to challenging events and his run from Glasgow to Skye last year, incorporating the West Highland Way, attracted national media attention. This achievement raised the magnificent sum of over £20,000 for Skye Cancer Care, a charity in which his mum Barbara is involved. “The Glasgow to Skye was something quite different. Sometimes it can be difficult for someone not taking part in a race to put the distance in context. However almost everyone has made the journey from Glasgow to Skye so they can imagine the distance involved. I had great support for that run too and I never thought we could raise so much money. I’ll also always remember the welcome I got when I arrived back in Portree. It was something special.” The West Highland Way section of the race was much tougher this time around though. “This time I was racing,” said Campbell. “I paced myself last year as I knew I still had the Fort William to Skye stretch to do. The Skye part of the route was the real challenge last time – that was the difficult bit.” Donnie Campbell was supported through his 2012 West Highland Way journey by a back-up team of Skye Camanachd team-mate Gilleasbuig MacDonald and Stuart MacKay. “They were great and I’d really like to thank them for their support. I’d also like to thank everyone who sent good luck messages. It really does make a difference.” The trio allowed themselves a richly deserved glass of red wine or two as they reached back to Glasgow and reflected on the previous 24 hours. Donnie Campbell won all of shinty’s prizes at youth level and was part of a Skye Camanachd U14 and U17 squad, coached by Donnie Martin, which provided many players for the Islanders senior team. He has gone on to represent Skye Camanachd at all levels but a back injury has curtailed his shinty career for now. “I hurt my back playing football at the end of last year,” he said. “I have been receiving physio for it but they still don’t know what the problem is. I know that it could quite easily go again so swinging a caman would not be a good idea. I daren’t even risk 5-a-side football. If I could get it fixed then I would love to go back to playing shinty and football again but for now I’m afraid I’m like an old man when I get up in the mornings and I need to warm up properly at the start of every day.” The fact that Campbell is carrying such a limiting injury puts his West Highland Way achievement into even greater perspective. So what next? “Who knows.” said Campbell. “I have a couple of ideas but I’ll chill out for a bit first and then look to do something else. I might do another race later this year or I just might leave it and do something next year.” One thing we can be sure about is that it will probably be something special! Find out more at Donnie Campbell’s business website www.getactiverunning.com and at his Facebook page www.facebook.com/glasgow2skye |