JK 2026 - Day 2 - Middle Distance Rannoch ForestSaturday 4th April

ESOC tent
Credit: Crawford Lindsay

The middle distance race, in very changeable conditions, saw 6 ESOC competitors on the podium and several others in the top 10.

Both days 2 & 3 forest races were held in Rannoch Forest, just south of Loch Rannoch and next to Kilvrecht campsite where several competitors chose to stay. The small village of Kinloch Rannoch was nearby, which for this event had traffic lights to ease passage across the narrow bridge. The competition area was mature conifer forest with fallen/felled trees and some moraine open areas. As can be seen from the photos, the ground was initially snow covered, blue skies appeared, but then snow/hail showers passed over several times. There was also a Trail O course available at Faskally Woods in Pitlochry.

There were podium places for the juniors again - Ingrid, Kirstin, Emma and Simon. Jo Stevenson was also 3rd on W45L and Mary Williams came in a strong 2nd on W75L.

Rachael Imrie reports:

Driving across from Aberfeldy to Rannoch, noting the dusting of snow on the high road, there was definite apprehension about the impending arrival of Storm Dave. However, at least for the early starters, the sun shone prettily on Kilvrecht Campsite for Day 2 of the JK. Originally bringing the children (they voted for remaining in the dry with their Grandparents, in the end) I had been allocated a “blue zone” parking permit so stopped briefly in Kinloch Rannoch to fill the car and assuage my guilt about getting to drive straight to the arena (I tried to give it back, Guv, but it wasn’t allowed!). My forest racing nerves were heightened by the carpark pep talk – “See that lady? Drive straight at that lady. DO NOT STOP or you will sink. Also that bridge is quite dodgy…”.
A sunny walk to the start passing the fast-flowing Allt na Bogair burn helped dissipate the parking stress and, for the W40L start, a short climb to the edge of the denser forest. And that’s where it started to go wonky for me. Perhaps an international competition wasn’t the best debut for my thumb compass career, to be fair. The area was beautiful? Yes. Runnable? Not particularly - for me at least. Linear features seemed to be few and far between and for each water feature on the map at least two additional ones appeared to have sprung up with the recent bad weather which led to some navigational challenges: is that the linear marsh or a bonus new linear marsh? The course ended in a nice, much easier, area of moraine landscape which boosted both my speed and my confidence.
The run in to the arena had a great vibe with ongoing live commentary and the club tents to welcome us back. Add to that the acquisition of rainbow socks, some great eats and the promise that the escape from the carpark was downhill and less hazardous, I was looking forward to returning the next day…

ESOC results in the top half:

M10A (13) - Hamish Mair 4th, Luke Durnall 9th
M10B (3) - Simon Hindle 3rd
M12A (19) - Eddie Mair 10th
M18E (49) - Calum Robertson 26th
M50L (62) - Walter Clark 27th
M65L (78) - Kevin Harding 19th
M70L (37) - Crawford Lindsay 17th
M75L (40) - Peter Halling 8th, Leslie Dalgleish 18th
W10A (7) - Ingrid Edenbrandt 1st, Kirstin Tinsley 2nd
W14A (25) - Emma Daley 2nd
W18E (33) - Megan Brown 8th
W21E (60) - Rachel Brown 19th
W40L (25) - Anna Edenbrandt 4th, Sarah Crawford 10th, Sarah McAdam 11th
W45L (25) - Jo Stevenson 3rd
W50L ((56) - Fran Daley 10th
W55L (55) - Hanne Robertson 28th
W55S (10) - Judy Bell 5th
W60L (70) - Helena Nolan 8th
W65L (41) - Alison Harding 8th, Maggie Scrugham 18th
W70L (29) - Janice Nisbet 7th, Margaret Dalgleish 8th, Sally Lindsay 11th
W75L (12) - Mary Williams 2nd

Full results can be found here

This event was part of the UKOL and updated results can be found after Day 3, on the Day 3 news item.

Photos from Wendy Carlyle can be viewed here

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