Let's Host a Canicross Race!

Let's put on a canicross race! If you don't know what that is, this guide to canicross will show you:

Basically you connect yourself to your dog by a bungee cord and go for a run. Serious canicrossers gain a huge advantage from training the right breed of dog to pull them along. To give you a sense how much, the fastest canicrosser in Scotland, Louise Mitchell, can run 5k on a bumpy trail in 14 minutes: that's as fast as the 5,000m track world record.

Photo from our race courtesy of Michael Philp Photos:

But you don't need to be an athlete to take part. Almost all adult dogs except breeds like pugs can do it, and all shapes and sizes of people. Even when I am injured I like to head over and say hello to my regular club social runs, because I like the people so much.

The race committee:

After a couple months of planning, we set out the course on Saturday at Whitekirk Hill, a former golf course turned to better use. The dog was having the time of her life off-lead and running free. It's a windy, bright location, with views of Bass Rock and Berwick Law, and I was with a wonderful bunch of people. I wasn't well enough myself to run, but delighted to be involved in other ways.

Helpers on course setup:

On Sunday we arrived to a frosty sunrise. Stallholders set up, the coffee van opened for business, and runners turned up to register. And then, after a race briefing, they were off! We set them off on a staggered start, and before the last runner started, the front runner had already finished, bathed in sweat and her dog panting like he had just chased squirrels for miles.

Start queue:

Canicross. It started as a way to get exercise at the same time as my dog Skye, and it ended up a great way to make friends.