It all started with £1 bet in 1972 as a proud Psychology professor proclaimed that it is impossible to reach the top of Dumyat from the University’s Gannochy Pavilion and come back down within one hour.
That year in May, during the Graduation day, his bet was lost by three minutes.
For 46 years now, people have been running the 8km (five mile) distance with 390m (1,280 feet) climb every May, during an event which has become known as the ‘Dumyat Race’.
This year, the 46th Dumyat Race was won by the University of Edinburgh Orienteer Alexander Chepelin. With his time of 32 minutes and 39 seconds, he has finished first and has come very close of breaking the Dumyat record time.
The male record for the Dumyat race was set by Murray Strain in 2012 at 32 minutes and 23 seconds, a time which has not have been beaten ever since then. This year, Chepelin was only 16 seconds slower.
“It’s pretty windy out there,” were Chepelin’s first words after he was able to finally catch his breath. The University of Edinburgh orienteer says that for him the Dumyat race is “good fun.”
“A kind of an alternative training, much better than running around in circles or on roads,” he added.
Chepelin has promised to come back next year and try to beat not only his own record but also Strain’s.
The women’s record is held at 36 minutes and 46 seconds by well‑know hill runner Andela Mudge. This year the closest to beat her time was a University of Glasgow student, Kirsty Dickson, finishing with her time at 43 minutes at 13 seconds.
The race is “the biggest event of the year”, says the Student Sport Experience Officer and the organiser of this year’s race Amy Beattie. “We got up to 450 signed up runners and it’s the biggest year so far.”
The race holds a number of different categories: student, stuff, open category (male and female), veteran (40+) and a super‑veteran (50+). There is also a team race for the student category.
The race also doubles as both the Scottish Student Sport Hill Running Championship and Scottish Hill Running Race.
If you want to prove yourself strong or the Psychology professor wrong, you should run the Dumyat path yourself. Perhaps during your Graduation day.
Film, Media and Journalism student at the University of Stirling. Sports editor @ Brig Newspaper. Bylines in Edinburgh Evening Times and the SPA National Magazine.
You must log in to post a comment.