Will Clark: Loch Ness Marathon is a highlight of the Inverness sporting calendar with potential to find next Olympian to follow in Megan Keith’s footsteps
I have never ran a marathon. The closest I’ve came to a marathon was eating one before they changed their name to Snickers.
However in my younger years, I did represent my school at the Aberdeenshire Cross Country Championships in 1997 and finished 29th out of 46.
At 14-years-old, that was to be the highlight of my sporting career which would then head on a downward spiral before heading to university. There, I discovered beer and kebabs and pretty much retiring from any sporting ambition at the age of 18.
However, my interest in athletics continued as a spectator and this weekend will see the biggest sporting event of the year in the Highlands return to Inverness.
The Loch Ness Marathon is back, earlier than usual as its date changes from its traditional first weekend of October to the last Sunday of September.
A record entry of 9000 runners are set to take part in the three main events which form its festival of running.
The Loch Ness Marathon has received 5500 entries for the 26.2 mile race which will start at high ground at Fort Augustus and finish at the banks of River Ness opposite Bught Park.
In addition, thousands of runners will be competing in the River Ness 10k and River Ness 5k as they pound through the city.
People from across the world will be coming to take part, although in recent years, Scottish runners have been enjoying success in the race.
The last three men’s winners have all been Scottish with Stuart Livingstone from Edinburgh in 2021, Dougie Selman also from Edinbrugh in 2022 and Moray Pryde from Broxburn winning in 2023.
Before that, the race was dominated by athletes from Ethiopia and Kenya along with Mohammed Abu Rezeq from Jordan winning three times between 2016 and 2018.
British athletes have dominated the women’s marathon, with the last non-UK winner being Dinkinesh Mekash from Ethiopia in 2010.
It would be great to see a winner from the Highlands win the marathon for the first time. Last year, Shaun Cumming from Highland Hill Runners came close when he finished in third place.
There will also be significant interest in the River Ness 10k and River Ness 5k where athletes from the Highlands will fancy their chances of claiming the crown.
It could be the breeding ground for future Olympians just like it was in 2019 when Megan Keith, at just 17-years-old and a pupil at Millburn Academy, pulled off what was considered a shock victory in the 10k.
Last month, she ran in the final of the 10,000 metres at the Olympic Games in Paris.
The festival promises to be a showcase of top running talent from across Scotland, UK and abroad.
Whatever the results, Inverness is set to be a winner again with the Loch Ness Marathon and Festival of Running.
It brings the city alive with fans lining up the streets cheering on the athletes, urging them to complete the distance.
It is also a fantastic boost to the Inverness economy, bringing visitors into the city and guests into hotels.
Events such at the Loch Ness Festival of Running, Inverness Half Marathon and Etape Loch Ness, and the Snowman Rally, which takes place next month, should be celebrated.
As well as being top sporting events, it is a fantastic showcase for promoting the Highlands. We will deservedly give it the coverage they deserve.
