The Great Edinburgh Run

His Lordship and I headed out this morning to watch the Great Edinburgh 10K race, wind its way along the Meadows after a start in Holyrood Park.
We stood at the 6Km marker and marvelled at the fluidity and speed of the Kenyan runners who were way in front of the club runners and the rest of the field.

Marvellous though the Kenyans were to watch, it was the fun runners who gave the race its character. They came in droves, 20,000 of them, fat, thin, short, tall, some walking, some jogging, some with fancy dress and some with sponsored T-shirts, but all of them winners in their own right.

The only faux pas we could see was to position the George Heriot's School pipe band 25 metres away from a van blaring out pop music. The poor kids didn't stand a chance, but persevered any way. I was impressed.

We met Magpie out in her blipping mode and his Lordship bought us some coffee to try and warm us up. It was perishingly cold although the sun was out.

As we walked home, his Lordship and I wondered whether we should run the race again next year. We have done it before but have become lazy and possibly embarrassed by the thought of maybe being the also rans at the back of the pack now that we are extreme veterans. I wonder if we will sign up - you can get too carried away with the sense of occasion.

I took a huge amount of blips which in one way or another were rubbish. The one I've posted at least shows the high spirits of one runner running beside a banana wielding masked man. I'm sure there is a theme there but it eludes me right now.
A Heriot piper stands at the back having a breather.