On your marks for new Fort running festival
This year sees the introduction of an exciting and unique new event in the Outdoor Capital of the UK with the inaugural Fort William Trail Running Festival.
The event takes place in and around the famous trails of Nevis Range on the weekend of the July 26 to 28, and incorporates everything from a 5k race to a full-blown marathon. There’s even the ‘Full Monty’ for the ultra runners out there – an entry into all of the races over the weekend. The juniors have not been forgotten, either, with races and workshops designed especially for the younger generation.
Event organiser and local businesswoman Helen Smith, herself a keen ultra runner and founder of the local ‘parkrun’, said: ‘When my partner and I (co-organiser Davy Duncan) heard the original Fort William Marathon had been cancelled, we felt it was a shame for the area to miss out on such a fantastic event.
‘Over a glass of wine, while sitting in the hot-tub (where many of our good ideas are born) we came up with the idea of organising a marathon ourselves and the concept of the festival grew from there.’
And it is not just about the running. The weekend will include sessions on yoga, navigation, and it is anticipated that around 600 runners and their families will attend the festival.
The highlight of the weekend is undoubtedly some of the speakers that have been enticed to the festival, including Charlie Ramsay, founder of the Ramsay’s Round endurance event, British long-distance runner Nicky Spinks, ‘Iron Man’ Joss Naylor MBE and inspirational Tokyo 2020 paralympic hopeful, Jay Cruz.
Events start on the Friday evening in the Pinemartin Café at Nevis Range, and culminate in a grand finale on the Sunday evening, with a fantastic ceilidh experience in the company of renowned local musicians, the Cach Mor Ceilidh Band.
Helen added: ‘We believe our love for the area, love of trail running, and our passion to share it, will go a long way to ensuring the festival will be a huge a success. It’s so exciting to create what we believe to be a unique event that will bring the running community together in a spectacular setting.’
Entries opened on February 1. To enter and find more information visit fortwilliamrunningfestival.com