Locals set to benefit as marathon is axed and cash shared
IT was one of the most remote marathons in the world until it lost its road race status due to the number of potholes on the route. Now, the organiser of a world-famous series of races in Sutherland are going to give away a “significant” amount of money generated from runners and sponsors over the years.
The Cape Wrath Challenge wants to leave a lasting legacy of the event that would have celebrated its final race next month.
Two years ago the showpiece marathon of the event lost its official status as a road marathon – because of the number of potholes on the route.
It was cancelled in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic and was due to end this year.
But the organiser of the Challenge, which attracted about 200 runners and their families every May, now says that although the event has ended it wants to leave its mark.
Organisations or groups within the Durness parish boundary have until Monday to submit applications for funding.
The projects must be concentrated on health, wellbeing, sport and community – to comply with the challenge’s charitable purposes – and be from established groups.
“We want to leave a lasting legacy so that whatever projects are chosen we will be able to say that was because of the Cape Wrath Challenge,” said a spokesman for organiser Durness Active Health.
“We want projects that will benefit the widest range of people in the community.
“We have already had a couple of applications and there is no limit to the numbers we can receive as long as the criterion is met.
“There are no plans to resurrect the challenge in the near future but, who knows... never say never.
“There is a significant pot of money to share out and we want the community to benefit.”
Durness Active Health said that over the two decades of the challenge it has raised about £2 million for the local economy and the various charities it has supported.
When it decided to call it a day, it told competitors: “We want to assure everyone that this decision has not been taken lightly, and Durness will miss what has become a very special week for the village.
“You have become an extended circle of friends and we hope you will come and visit us in the future.”
The next planned challenge would also have marked 19 editions of the event, which is a week-long series of runs culminating in the famous Cape Wrath Marathon.
It started in 2001, but was not held in 2002 because of the foot and mouth outbreak and in 2020 due to the pandemic. The last race was run in 2019.
Over the years runners from around the globe have made their way to Sutherland to enter the gruelling event.
However in 2019 the marathon lost its official road status.
Even before the added obstacle of the potholes, The Cape Wrath Challenge Marathon was billed as “a race like no other.”
Climbing to nearly 2,500ft, runners went through some of the most spectacular and remotest wilderness in the country.
The fact it is in a bombing range – and runners’ times were stopped to allow a journey across the Kyle of Durness by Britain’s smallest licensed ferry – added to its attraction.
But the Cape Wrath Challenge Marathon was told by Scottish Athletics it could no longer call itself a “road marathon” after being ruled out by potholes.
Because the potholes are so deep and numerous on the 11-mile long road up to the Cape Wrath Lighthouse – where competitors turn round for the return leg to the finish – the governing body says there is not now one continuous road surface.
In fact, runners would have to weave around the pot holes so much, one said they would end up running more than the official 26 mile, 385-yard distance.
The most north westerly marathon on mainland Britain was no longer officially a road marathon, and had to be run as an “off road event”.
Over the years the event even saw proposals of marriage in the middle of the race and three families fell in love with the area so much they moved to Durness.
In 2017 keen runners David and Victoria Mckeown got engaged while taking part in the marathon.
David proposed to his wife-to-be at just over the half way point.
The couple, from Scourie in Sutherland, later took their shortest, but their most important journey together... up the aisle to tie the knot.
There is a significant pot of money to share out and we want the community to benefit