Stunning 10k around city’s iconic landmarks, despite minor knee injury - Vladimir McTavish

​I’m still nursing a minor knee injury which I sustained on the Murrayfield turf last weekend. It’s not quite as impressive as it sounds.

The 10K route takes in most of the capital’s iconic landmarks

I was taking part in the Men’s 10K which is run every October. Last Sunday morning, along with around 1500 others, I was lining up on the Lawnmarket at half-past nine to run ten kilometres on a cold morning. Half-past nine on Sunday? I’m quite frequently not out of my bed by that time on a weekday. Why do such a thing at such an ungodly hour? And it is, literally, an ungodly hour. Most church services start around another hour later that this, so even God isn’t up as early on a Sunday.

The simple answer is that Edinburgh is quite stunning at that time of day before the city comes awake. When the streets are empty, and on a bright sunny day that we were fortunate enough to enjoy last weekend, you see this place in all its picture-postcard beauty. Even the golden turd on the top of the Saint James Quarter was sparkling like a jewel in the early morning sun.

It’s a rather strange experience to be running the streets at that time of day when there are still people heading home, doing the Walk of Shame after a Saturday night on the tiles. Indeed, I was wondering whether anyone has ever managed to combine the two. I imagine someone coming home still drunk from a very late party must have accidentally staggered into the London Marathon and sobered up in time to find themselves running towards Buckingham Palace pursued by someone dressed as a rhinoceros.

The 10K route takes in most of the capital’s iconic landmarks. Starting off next to the Castle, we ran down The Mound, down The Royal Mile towards the Parliament and Holyrood, then back through the Grassmarket and on towards Murrayfield.

I was obviously paying too much attention to the scenery. Inside the gates at Murrayfield, I tripped over my own feet and landed bang on my knee on the patch of grass beneath the clock, literally minutes from the end. I picked myself up and carried on. Although in agony, I managed a sprint finish. Tomorrow morning, I’m having a lie-in.