Stornoway Running and Athletics Club
Flett Treck 2002 (Click here to see Flett Treck 2001)
Festive fun continued on Hogmanay with the ever popular Flett Treck across the "posties " track to Rhenigidale. Since the run first started as a four-mile training run fourteen years ago by Dougie Flett and Ross Munro the run has developed into one of the best days out in the Lewis and Harris running calendar!
A total of twenty took to the Harris hills this year in the best conditions
ever for the "Flett Treck". Eight runners ran the long route
from Maaruig through Glen Laxadale to Urgha Beag a distance of 4 ½
miles, including island visitors Johnny and Rob from London and Perth
respectively, Rob and his partner Cath being the first mainland visitors
to come to Harris specifically for the "Flett Treck"! The run
is treated as a good fun easy jog (some might disagree, we really have
to slow Mandy down)
to see out the old year but speedster Malcolm Bain really "went for
it" and blitzed through both parts of the run in around fifty minutes,
arriving at the hostel before the minibus and in good time to help Yogi
out with preparations of the festive fare. While the rest of the group
took a more leisurely approach and took about 2 ½ hours!
A further six runners and six walkers enjoyed the shorter route from Urgha Beag to Rhenigidale. On arriving at Loch Trollamarig a couple of miles from the hostel the total party stopped to take part or witness the annual Hogmanay "dip" with the seals in the loch.
Five of the hardy types took the plunge in amongst the seals with the madder than mad Tony Robson leading the way into the water on four occasions! Why can't folk get their cameras in action first time round? !!
As ever Kenny MacKay of Rhenigidale welcomed the group to the village and even though there were problems with the stove the autumnal type conditions proved this to be no problem at all!
Many thanks from all the group to driver for the day Yogi, …somebody's got to miss out on the fun!
