The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Outlander star Sam swaps horse for running
Actor Heughan revisits historic locations around Stirling from TV series
Outlander star Sam Heughan completed the Stirling Scottish Marathon yesterday and admitted it was nice to see the countryside on his feet instead of the back of a horse.
Super-fit Sam, 37, known to millions as Jacobite Jamie Fraser in the hit timetravel series, took time out from filming to join 6,000 runners in the 26.2 mile race around Stirling and Perthshire.
The route took in sights close to some of Outlander’s filming locations, including Doune, whose medieval fort doubled as fictional Castle Leoch in the series.
Heughan crossed the line in a personal best 3hr 14 min 19 sec, and admitted he would have liked to time travel like Outlander wife Claire, who journeys in time through standing stones.
He said he hopes filming on Outlander, which resumes today, will involve sitting down following his marathon exertions.
He said :“We’ ve been shooting in Stirling a lot recently so it was nice to go round some of the locations we’ve shot in. Even Doune Castle, we were there in season one. It was amazing to see it on my legs instead of on the back of a horse. “I got a personal best time. “My previous was 3.20 so that’s 3.15. I wasn’t pushing too hard. I’m doing the Edinburgh Marathon next, in about four weeks, so I might push a wee bit harder.
“It would have been nice to be able to time travel it. I thought about it on the start line, ‘just go through some stones and get to the end’.
“We’re still filming. It’s back to work tomorrow, so hopefully I’m sitting down most of the day. But I feel good. A little sore but nothing a beer and some carbs won’t cure. There were people cheering me on all along the route. It was nice to see so much support.
“It’s such a beautiful marathon, you see some amazing sites, and the rain held off until the end so it was perfect.”
The marathon started in the shadow of Stirling Castle and took a scenic route through Doune, Dunblane and Bridge of Allan before returning to King’s Park.
The Stirling event was the first of two marathons Heughan will tackle this year to raise money for Cahonas Scotland as part of his own charity My Peak Challenge initiative.
He said: “I’m doing two marathons for Cahonas Scotland, testicular cancer awareness. They’re a very small charity trying to get the message out there, so this is for them.
“We’ve raised, through JustGiving, around £30,000 but we’ve also been selling T-shirts and all the profits go to charity so there should be a good amount raised.”
On the start line, he tweeted: “Is it too late to go back to bed?”
Outlander author Diana Gabaldon replied: “Best of luck. There’s a bathtub full of beer with your name on it.”