Just over a week ago, an email appeared in my inbox late on a Thursday afternoon from a contact at Aspire PR, “We’ve had a last minute opportunity fall into our laps… would you and a +1 be interested in attending and competing in the Gleneagles Great Adventure Race later next week?”. An answer was needed by the following morning for Sealskinz who were offering to fund the team. This wasn’t an event I was at all familiar with and the only thing I knew about Gleneagles was that it was a rather plush golf resort up in Scotland. A link was provided to a YouTube video from the inaugural event in 2019 which began to pique my interest. The race was made up of a 4km tandem kayak, a 16km run up and down a monro followed by a 35km cycle to the finish and included a 2 night stay at the hotel. I’d never stepped foot in a kayak or even ridden a proper road bike so I was feeling a little sceptical about my ability to participate at such short notice, plus I’d need to convince someone to come as my teammate! I should also be honest here and add that I definitely had some preconceived ideas about what an event at this sort of cost in such a luxurious setting might be like, and I really wasn’t sure if it was for me. I’m used to sleeping in the back of my campervan with my scruffy little dog and not rubbing shoulders with the rich and famous in the lap of luxury!
I quickly got in touch with my good friend and adventure buddy Cathy to see what she thought, and after a quick exchange of messages and more research into the event we rapidly realised what an incredible opportunity was on offer, unlike anything either of us had done before or might get to do again so we decided there and then to make it happen! Little over a week later and we were standing on the front steps of the 5* Gleneagles Hotel ready to check into our room and register for the race!
I won’t lie to you, I was as nervous about being a guest at a 5* hotel as I was about the race itself! My standard race experience is that you generally rock up to a marquee in a field, chuck a fiver at someone, do your run and then get some cake and maybe a pint at the end if you’re lucky! It was very hard to anticipate what the hotel might be like and easy to imagine that the atmosphere might be a little aloof or stuffy for 2 normal girls living in Derbyshire. However, I couldn’t have been more wrong! Every member of staff we encountered was a dream, so helpful, friendly and down to earth. Nothing was too much trouble and everything ran like clockwork. We felt welcomed and relaxed from start to finish.
Now onto the event itself, I’m not sure where to start! We spent a fair bit of time over the course of the weekend in the beautifully appointed private wing of Ochil House. Registration was a breeze, with ample information and a bag of goodies to help us through the race, including treats from our team sponsor Sealskinz and some fabulous clothing from Scottish brand Meander. We were leant road bikes to use so got measured up for these as well as being able to have a quick practice in a kayak within the hotel grounds. The evening consisted of a pre-race briefing and delicious meal designed to fuel us perfectly for the next day’s exertions. We had the chance to meet and chat with our fellow competitors and the organisers of the event who remained on hand throughout all proceedings and were a true delight to work with!
Saturday was race day, so after breakfast in the breath-taking Strathearn Restaurant we made our way to the front of the hotel where a convoy of Land Rovers were waiting to chauffeur us to the race start at Loch Earn. We felt like royalty as we processed along in a chain of vehicles through the back lanes of the Scottish countryside whilst our driver regaled us with stories about his time working at the estate and informing us about the race ahead. Upon arriving at the Loch, there was time to stock up on any last minute refreshments before taking to the water. This was the part of the race that we really had zero expectations for, having literally no prior experience. After lining up in the water and waiting for the official start siren we very quickly realised that we are not good at kayaking! Going in a straight line was much harder than anticipated and we were soon lagging far behind the rest of the teams. We battled on through the increasingly choppy waters and after what seemed like forever, finally reached the far shore as the second-to-last team out of the water. At transition, the others were long gone so we kitted up as quickly as we could and began the running leg.
The run took us on a fairly immediate but increasingly steep incline to the top of Ben Vorlich, a 985m high mountain. My teammate Cathy was struggling with extreme dizziness all the way up to the summit and it was touch and go whether we would be able to continue. We got to the top and checked in with the marshal and decided it may have been some motion sickness from the kayaks that was affecting her balance. After beginning the descent, Cathy began to rally and started to feel a little better. We knew that the run leg was our forte, especially the rocky and then boggy downhill so decided to try and make a bit of a push down the mountain. We managed to move up the rankings from dead last and overtake a few other teams who weren’t quite as familiar with the type of terrain underfoot, a few people seemed surprised to see us pop up but everyone was all smiles and encouraging each other onwards. We got to the next checkpoint to see Peter from Sealskinz and the Glenaeagles staff eager to cheer us on.
Next up was the bike stage, the stage I personally was looking forward to the least. I am neither an experienced or confident cyclist, especially on the road. Thankfully, the route was along picturesque quiet country lanes with very little traffic and was extremely well marked so there was absolutely no chance of going wrong. Neither Cathy nor I ate enough at transition so at every incline we were moaning and laughing to each other about how exhausted we were. On unfamiliar bikes and participating in a discipline our bodies weren’t used to, various body parts soon began to ache! Backs, legs, shoulders and the inevitable saddle soreness! By the end, I was counting down the miles until eventually I saw some golfers over to my right. Never have I been so happy to see a golfer, and not long after that the driveway to the hotel appeared and it was the home straight!
Suddenly the sound of bagpipes filled the air and a ripple of applause and cheers from the friends and family gathered on the lawn as well as our fellow competitors, hotel staff and the representatives from the event sponsors. As soon as we had crossed the finish line my first words to Cathy were, “Now let’s set fire to these bikes!” as we were presented with a glass of champagne before collapsing for a while on the perfectly manicured grass. A sumptuous spread of food and drinks had been laid on for us which was exactly what we needed after a few hours of hard work. We had zero expectations of how we might do before the event but were very happy to finish in 5th place overall, which as the only all-female team we were pretty pleased with. I was very proud of us, but especially Cathy who battled on despite feeling utterly dreadful for most of the run. We spent a lovely time relaxing with everyone in the Scottish sunshine, sharing tales of the race.
That evening we had the sparkling awards ceremony and Taste of Scotland meal back in Ochil House. The attention to detail that went into creating this evening was incredible. The team made us feel so special, with an exceptional menu showcasing some of Scotland’s finest delicacies and wine seemingly on tap. Everyone who participated in the race was made to feel truly congratulated and honoured for their efforts. The night ended with photographs on the hotels front steps and drinks in the Century Bar.
And then, just like that, the weekend was over! Leaving the hotel is a surprisingly relaxed affair, with check-out at midday and the message being that you can stay on site for as long as you like afterwards. Cathy and I nipped into the spa in an attempt to soothe our aching bodies before dragging ourselves away and back to the reality of the long drive home and the prospect of returning to normal life again, away from the luxury we’d been cocooned in for the past couple of days.
Any pre-conceived scepticism I may have had about the event evaporated almost immediately upon entering the hotel on that first Friday afternoon. No, it is nothing like a fell race or traditional triathlon. Yes, it is decadent and certainly not a run of the mill weekend event that many of us could do on a regular basis; but that’s exactly the point of it, it isn’t meant to be a run of the mill event. It is something unique, an occasion, something you might do as a special treat like the couple who were there to celebrate their 10th wedding anniversary. From start to finish we loved every second and cannot thank the hotel and grounds staff enough for making our stay so incredible. The staff who organised things were amazing, shout outs to Katrina and Billy who were fabulous throughout the whole weekend. Huge thanks to Peter and Sealskinz for providing us with this incredible opportunity, and Jill and Steve at Meander for the lovely goodies that we have been wearing with pride already. Jay Golian and his team captured some incredible photographs throughout the whole weekend and seemingly appeared as if by magic around every corner of the race.
Am I glad I went? 100%. Would I go again? Definitely.
Happy running x
fellrunlikeagirl 