‘Too wonderful to explain’ – Highland Cross co-founder reflects on last 40 years as he steps back from event
Highland Cross co-founder Gerry Grant has “retired” from the event for the second time, it was revealed at a charity event celebrating this year’s fundraising.
It was Gerry who first came up with the idea for the charity fundraiser that has been running since 1983.
Working alongside Calum Munro, who has been the organising secretary for the event for the last 20 years after being in charge of safety and logistics before that, lifelong Struy resident Gerry is proud of the event’s focus on the Highlands.
In the 40 times the event has gone ahead since, it has raised more than £6.3 million for charities that operate in the region.
Gerry described the success of the Cross – which began as the Midsummer Madathon in 1983 before changing its name to Highland Cross the following year – over the last four decades as “too wonderful to explain”.
“I was lucky to speak to Calum about my idea and from that it just prospered,” he told me at the celebration event on Thursday.
“The main thing was that we were going to benefit charities, rather than just have an event. From that it became a benefit to one charity, then multiple charities of all kinds. I personally was very keen to make it Highland-wide – that’s why it’s called the Highland Cross.
“Midsummer Madathon was a very attractive name but it didn’t tell you where it was, it didn’t identify the people or the charities, so we decided on the Highland Cross.”
Gerry and Calum both received MBEs for their charity work in 2016.
Gerry first retired from the Highland Cross in 2002 when he stood down as organising secretary. He then became one of the Independent Charity Selection Panel charged with identifying the best beneficiaries for the event’s fundraising.
After 22 years on the panel, Gerry has now stepped away from those duties and said he is left with plenty of memories.
In a statement, the Highland Cross organisers said: “He continues to be the embodiment of the values of Highland Cross and a source of inspiration to those who continue its work.”
On Thursday, Gerry was presented with a unique commemorative plate, recognising his contribution to the event, by Calum.
The four benefitting charities were also given their donations which will all be used to purchase specialist vehicles for their individual needs.
Representatives from Highland Disability Sport, L’Arche Highland, Cantraybridge College and Highland BlindCraft all spoke to the audience and thanked all those involved as a record fundraising total of £368,295 was revealed on the night by treasurer John Fraser.
There were also special commemorative plates donated to other long-time supporters including Anna Thomson and Ruaraidh Taylor.
The two men who have completed all 40 Highland Cross events
There are two men who have completed all 40 Highland Cross events – covering almost 2000 miles each crossing the Highlands on foot and by bike.
The achievement was recognised at the charity handover event on Thursday when John Talbot, of Inverinate, and former Inverness man David Rose, now of Edinburgh, received a special plate to mark the milestone.
David explained that as an ambulance service worker, he volunteered for the first event without fully appreciating what he was letting himself in for.
He said: “It was very tough the first year and after that we got wise as to what we needed to do, and we started training and cycling and made an effort to make ourselves a lot fitter for the next one.
“We were competitive amongst ourselves, but I had no aspirations of winning the event. But beating our work colleagues was our main objective – we had an ambulance trophy for the first ambulanceman home.
“It’s been a very special event. As so many people have said, it’s the camaraderie, the charities, the special welcome we get in Beauly when we arrive, all the helpers throughout the event who are so good to us as we’re running over the hill – and our families give us a lot of support as well.
“Little did we know when we started off that we would continue to do it for 40 years.”
He also made a point of mentioning his colleague Graham Forbes, from Bunchrew, who has only missed one of the 40 events due to fracturing a bone in his foot one year.
John said he was “pressganged” into signing up for the first event in 1983 when he worked at the naval base in Kyle.
Asked why he kept coming back, he said: “I don’t really know but every time the invitation came up, I signed on the dotted line and that was it, and I’m still doing it.
“It’s been very hard, I’m getting a bit older now – I used to run years ago but I walk now, but it’s still an amazing event because of the money that’s raised for the charities; it’s a very worthwhile event.
“Now, as Calum says, it’s the Highland Cross family really; anybody who’s involved in it, we’re a big group, aren’t we?”
So, will they both be back for event number 41 on June 21, 2025?
John says “maybe” while David enthusiastically said: “Yes, as long as I’m fit enough to do it I’ll be here. We always look forward to coming up – it’s special coming back because we lived in Inverness for so long.”
