Erin and Friends Monster Loch Ness
An intrepid team of runners - including Dr Erin Stoll of Scottish Woodlands - has completed the Loch Ness 360 Winter Relay, overcoming illness, injury and even a washed-out bridge along the way.
Erin, Scottish Woodlands’ Peatland Project Manager, was on the start-line for 3am and ran most of her leg, from Inverness to Drumnadrochit, in the dark.
The first leg - which Erin ran with Clyde Mountaineering Club team-mates Kira and Ben - was also the longest, at 31.6km (just under 20 miles). Erin then also joined the final leg of the challenge, running a further 17.5km from Dores to Inverness, also in the dark!
There were 6 legs in total, covering a full 130km circuit around Loch Ness - and the team completed the challenge in an impressive 17 hours and 27 minutes, about half an hour faster than expected.
The relay raised funds for Scottish Mountain Rescue, a cause close to the hearts of everyone who works and enjoys time in Scotland's outdoors. At time of writing, they were very close to their fundraising target of £2,000.
Erin said: “It was a long and tough run, but a great challenge too - and it’s always easier to do these things with your friends and colleagues alongside you!”
Organiser Jacob Gledhill said: “We encountered a few hurdles during the day, including illness, injury and a car window that decided that being able to close was no longer a good use of its time. But despite these, and the washed-out bridge between Fort Augustus and Foyers, we were delighted to finish about half an hour quicker than our pre-run estimate!"
“This run nicely summed up what we’ve been able to achieve in the first formal year of Clyde Mountaineering Club trail running - a team of varying abilities supporting one another to achieve goals and enjoy the outdoors. We were really pleased to be able to use this to raise money for such a good cause.”
If you would like to sponsor the team, please click this link: Fundraiser by Jacob Gledhill : Clyde Mountaineering Club: Loch Ness 360 Winter Relay