Wheels In Motion For 2018 Tour Of Fife
Tonight (Wednesday 11 July) sees the ‘grand depart’ of the 2018 Tour of Fife, a series of five individual races held in different locations across the region over five consecutive days.
Each of the events is in a different running discipline, and, taken together, make up a challenge like no other in Scotland.
Entrants can run the full series or as many individual races as they wish. Times and finishing positions are recorded at each event, with each competitor's times added together to determine the overall series category winners.
Tough as it may sound, there’s an incentive to take part in all the events: prizes are awarded only to those who complete the full series.
Last year’s Tour was won by Cambuslang Harrier Ben Hukins, who completed all five events in 1.39.02. First lady was Fife AC’s own Maya Stone, in a time of 1.56.53. The Tour is organised by Fife AC, with support from the Morton Running Company.
Owner Dave Morton shared his advice on social media earlier this week, saying: “The races look OK on paper but when you string them one after the other, they add up! Take your time, pace yourself and enjoy!”
Tonight’s race, the first in the series, will be the Beach Race: a fast out and back on the West Sands at St Andrews. Tomorrow’s event will be the Hill Race: a climb up East Lomond along a marked trail to the summit, followed by a descent into the Falkland Estate.
Friday will see race three, the ‘fast and furious’ Mile Time Trial: a one-mile blast in pairs along Kirkcaldy Promenade, mercifully set off ‘in the direction of the prevailing wind’.
Competitors will keep to the roads on Saturday for a 5k Road Race in Glenrothes, but they’ll hit the trails on Sunday for the fifth and final event: a 10k trail race on the Falkland Estate.