Racing on the Orkneys

[Welsh Harrier]

Kirkwall Half Marathon a week on Sunday - anyone else doing it?

[Just a Lurker!]

Kirkwall Half Marathon a week on Sunday - anyone else doing it?

No, but did enjoy the Hoy Half in 2003 and am sure you'll find Kirkwall just as friendly a place to race.

[downsman]

Sorry to be a pedantic t**t but 'The Orkneys' do not exist. Nor do the Orkney Islands. Orkney means Ork Island - ney is a Norse suffix for island. So "the Orkneys" doesn't make sense. The group should just be referred to as Orkney. I wrote to the OS once as they got it wrong on a map and they sent me a £50 vocher! It's like PIN Number - that drives me nuts. And I once met someone from the Isles of Scilly who used to FUME at the thought of anyone calling them the Scilly Isles. OK - off to eat an atlas.

[XRunner]

'The Orkneys' do not exist. Nor do the Orkney Islands.

Wikepedia says this:

Orkney (also known as the Orkney Islands, Isles of Orkney or the Orkneys) is an island group in northern Scotland

[downsman]

Wikepedia says this:

It's wrong!

[dominion]

It's wrong!

Just don't try and change Wikipededia....

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/6947532.stm

and

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asi...ic/6961575.stm

[Welsh Harrier]

Saw lots of sheep on Orkneys and Shetlands!! Good running but the only race I found was the Kirkwall Half Marathon - came 3rd though! Will go back for the Hoy Half Marathon which is apparently a bit more interesting. No one seemed to know much about fell running though!

[Just a Lurker!]

Will go back for the Hoy Half Marathon which is apparently a bit more interesting. No one seemed to know much about fell running though!

Hoy Half is pretty good for a road race - superb scenery on a very atmospheric island with lovely views of South Ronaldsay (assuming it's not cloudy!). A chance to do a bit of wildlife spotting en-route and maybe being mobbed by a bonxie to add to the excitement. Then a fun and friendly prize-giving in the school hall afterwards. Even Neil wants to do it again - not often the case with a road race.

Thought there was a hill race on Orkney in early August. http://www.shr.uk.com/RaceDetails.as...Metric&Month=8 Not sure whether it really counts as fell-running but it seems to be on our list of things to do sometime.

Glad you found your sheep!