Record entries for the Dunvegan races
It was sunshine and blue skies for this year’s Dunvegan Race, with a strong wind giving the runners some additional work on this challenging course.
With 154 entries, it was a another record year for this event, which keeps growing year by year. This year the event was held earlier in March, prior to the castle opening., in order to give runners the castle grounds, cafe and finish area purely for the run, which made for a great atmosphere. The runners were piped to the start line by 11-year-old Seonaidh Macleod.
New for this year was the Griegs Seafood 5k aimed at all abilities and was well received.
The 5k was supported by the local GP surgery, with the practice nurse, Morag Macdonald, running a weekly couch to 5k group. This group went on to win the team prize as the ‘Monkey Puzzle Troupers’ named after their weekly running route, which encompassed said tree.
The 5k was won by local 13-year-old Alex Jamieson in a time of 21:46.8, who trains with the Inverness Harriers. The first female was Heather Oakley, for whom it was her first race. She bagged an impressive time of 27:47.2 in a pair of pyjamas!
Dunvegan Castle 10k was won by Kenny MacGruer of the Caithness-based North Highland Harriers in a time of 37:59.6. MacGruer was followed by Alun Beckett 39:13.6 and local runner Chris James 40:40.7.
Hot on James’s tail was the first female, Skye runner Sarah Jamieson with an impressive time of 40:44.3. Jamieson was followed by Rebecca Miller, also from Skye, 51:23.0 and then Susan Maclennan 51:30.4.
The fun run set a fast pace on a 1.5k mainly off-road course. Dunvegan boy Oliver Langlands won overall, closely followed by Tabitha Jones.