Shinty players run to Barcelona for charity
Register for free to read more of the latest local news. It's easy and will only take a moment.
SHINTY players went the extra mile as they completed a challenge running the equivalent from Inverness to Barcelona and back again.
The Camanachd Association Running Group ran 2700 miles in less than a month as part of a challenge.
At the beginning of January in lieu of a traditional pre-season, the association discussed how they could engage people in shinty communities to be active throughout the month.
They set up a running challenge whereby they asked people to join in an attempt to make it to Barcelona by the end of the month by running 1350 miles.
A total of 103 shinty players, committee members, parents and fans helped complete the challenge in just over two weeks.
It was then decided to increase the pressure and the group were challenged to get us back to Inverness taking the tally for the month up to beyond 2700 miles.
The Camanachd Association also raised over £500 for Scottish Association of Mental Health whilst completing the challenge.
Camanachd Association chief executive officer Derek Keir said: “We were delighted that so many people joined us in staying active this January. The positive impact that being active has not just on your physical health but your mental health cannot be overstated.
“A key component of our strategy is to engage the whole community and it was especially pleasing to see non-shinty players join our Strava group and help get us to Barcelona and back.”
The Camanachd Association ran a competition on the final day of the month, with whoever ran the furthest would be rewarded with a Scotland shinty replica top.
Aberdeen University player Joe Folan set the early pace, clocking 19.45 miles at 10am.
However, Paul Ross put in an impressive 22.22 miles an hour, But Folan put in a late run in the evening for a 4.42-mile run at 10.05pm to win the competition.
The Camanachd Association announced it is hoped to run regionalised leagues along with the Camanachd Cup and other competitions for the 2021 campaign later this year.
