The last Black Isle Festival of Running was held in 1993. Events included: marathon; half marathon; 10k; and a fun run. About 800 participants.

The 10k was supposedly a good event if you wanted a fast time, as they bussed everyone out to the highest point on the road to Cromarty, and you'd to run back to Fortrose - mostly downhill. Never have classed myself as a runner, preferring swimming and cycling, but needed to do some for the local-to-me Nairn Triathlon, which had a 5k run for the last stage. My training for that, was usually to just run about a mile and a half, straight after cycling home. Rare occasion, two miles. So the 5k done in the triathlon was the furthest I'd run... and that was the case a couple of weeks later as I stood at the start of my first 10k.

This running malarkey was all new to me. Had always been put off by the keen folk that seemed to constantly be comparing their running injuries... no thanks! When we'd all piled off the buses at the top of that hill there'd been a slight pause, and then someone climbed over a gate to go for a leak, which then became a flood of folk doing the same. Blokes all went to one side of a large drystane dyke, the ladies all went to the other. As I said, this was all new to me, and somewhat amusing.

Never quite sure how to pace running events, so tend to go easy, and hold back a bit. At that time I was living in Croy near Cawdor, and not on the Black Isle, so I wasn't familiar with the location or course. Another reason to take it easy. It went well, very gentle descent and flat stretches for the first half, then more downhill for the next couple of miles taking you to Rosemarkie. Big shock for me/my legs, after all that downhill part, was the short steep uphill climb out of Rosemarkie. Legs recovered over the flat straight road to Fortrose. A couple of turns, and then some swine that had been using me as pace setter, decide to try and pass me before the finish line. I'm not very competitive, but I wasn't having that. No way. There was a sprint finish, much to the delight of the spectators. Much pain for a long while later, from the lactic acid.

Was asked at the end, "Did you get a PB?" "I suppose so. I've never run that far before." Which seemed to shock him. Time was 38 minutes and 45 seconds. A time that it would take me about three years to better, on more normal courses, i.e. flatter ones. Have never taken running seriously. Would stop over Winter, and use the early season events as training to get going, usually with times around 42 to 44 minutes. No idea what sort of time I'd do these days, if I could run that far. Been having problems and pain in one foot for a while, which has precluded any such thoughts. Probably early arthritic type issues.