A late evening run around the route of the Maddy Moss Mash hillrun on a day of soaring temperatures

Date: 10 July 2022
Distance: 9.87km
Ascent: 694m
Time: 1.6hrs
Hills: Ben Cleuch
Weather: Incredibly warm summer's evening
Route: View on OS Maps

The day had been scorchingly hot, and even at 8pm it was still in the mid-20s. The sun was shining and the evening sky streaked with wispy cirrus clouds

The sun was already behind the hills so it meant the first part of the run along the path above the Mill Glen and then the steep lower slopes of the Law was mercifully shaded.

By the time I got to the sunlit upper slopes there was a bit of a breeze about which kept a cap on the temperatures. I slogged up and over the several false summits to finally reach the cairn marking the top of the Law.

The views were fantastic and surprisingly I had the hills to myself. The narrow grassy ridge that runs north from the Law beckoned and provided some suitable ground to actually get some running in. I joined the broad eastern slopes of Ben Cleuch, following the path, boggy in places, up towards the top of the hill.

I reached the cairn and trig point and stopped here to have a breather, take on some water and enjoy the fabulous light bathing the landscape. The distant highlands could be seen with Ben Lomond and the Trossachs clear against the horizon to the west. Away north the windfarm was picked out by the light.

The run back eastward towards Andrew Gannel Hill is great fun with just a few boggy pools to avoid and soon I was past the peaty bealach and trundling up the other side. The sun was sinking ever lower and gave some dramatic light beyond Ben Cleuch.

I took another break for water on the top of Andrew Gannel Hill before taking the descent east down towards the Maddy Moss below King's Seat.

Again the downhill running here is excellent and I enjoyed the views out east along the spine of the Ochils towards Innerdownie.

I negotiated the bogs and pools at the bealach and then picked up the path which descends the long ridge back towards Tillicoultry. I was able to pick up speed here and enjoyed the run below Andrew Gannel and The Law.

Before long I was picking my way back down the steep slopes above Tillicoultry to my timing point.

Earlier in the week the Maddy Moss Mash had been run with the fastest runners completing this course in just over 50 minutes. It took me about 90...