Discipline: Hills
Member since: 1992
Born: England, 1958
Why do you run?
I’d like to say for the love of it. The truth is that I run because I’m good at it. I’m not that competitive in other areas of my life, but when I run a race I want to win. I train to give me a better chance of winning when race day comes. Of course I do love running, especially over the hills. I’ve my parents to thank for instilling in me a love of the great outdoors and particularly of conquering summits. Happy memories of those sunny days when my mother would be walking 50 yards in front of me with a big glass bottle of lemonade saying “Keep up Malcolm, you can have a drink at the top!”
What got you into hill/off-road running?
See above! I blame the parents. I’ll tell you what almost put me off fell running for life. I would be 8 or 9 when I went to watch Ambleside Sports. In those days the bookies ruled the roost. The junior fell race was about to start when I heard one bookie shouting “Who’ll give me 5 to 1 on Patterson?? “ Patterson was a skinny lad not much older than me and I could see him stood shaking on the start line! Anyway, fast forward a few years and I took up the sport of orienteering. As my interest grew, I began to do more running training. Eventually I concluded that I could orienteer quite well, and I could run quite fast, but not do both at the same time. So I rediscovered my love of the hills, and the rest is history…..
What’s your favourite race?
I love the short sharp ones. Like Chapelgill but it lacks the atmosphere. So it would have to be Burnsall (down in Yorkshire).
What’s your biggest running achievement?
Thats a tricky one! My only gold medal came in winning the British Vets in 1998, the senior titles having eluded me. I did win some fairly big races, like Ben Lomond (when it was a British Championship), Kentmere, Coniston, Buckden Pike and Carnethy (3 times). I got cash for winning Stoney Middleton (ok it’s not a big race) but being an amateur I just got the race organiser to buy all my clubmates a drink! I was proud to run for England in 4 World Championships.
But if you force me to choose one performance, and bearing in mind that my football hero Billy Bremner said “You get nowt for coming second”, I almost won Snowdon in 1989, beaten only by John Lenehan of Ireland, who went on to become World Champion in 1991.
Uphill or Downhill?
Uphill. The cable car is your friend -to save the descent – but sadly we dont have too many of them in Scotland. A nice cable car on Ben Nevis would save all that money spent on path maintenance.
Bum bag or backpack?
Big Bum Bag
Athletic hero?
Kenny Stuart the GOAT. Short Medium Long Uphill Downhill he excelled at them all. I forgive him his love of hunting.
Buff or hat?
At my age I need both x
