This Friday Alison and I took part in a local Fun Run, it is a race of sorts, but really as the name suggests a more inclusive event to raise money for charity. The Bonaly Fun run is organised by the local primary school and was set up a few years back by a couple of running Mums.
Although our children are way beyond primary school age, they all attended this local school so it is nice to continue to support its’ charity fundraising efforts, and as the run route takes in some lovely scenery and ends up almost at my doorstep – it seemed too good to miss.
The run is really well organised and although entry numbers are small, it caters for a wide range of abilities by offering 2, 4, 6 and 10 mile options and a walking alternative. We opted for the 6 mile route as we did not feel up to the 10 mile out and back, including as it does 2-4 miles of uphill before joining the return loop.
The start of the 6 mile loop is at Harlaw reservoir in the hills above Balerno – one of three reservoirs the route follows. The landscape around the reservoirs is quite wild and sometimes it is hard to imagine you are only 30 minutes or so from the cnetre of Edinburgh.
This is one of the reasons I love living in Edinburgh.
The weather was kind on Friday when we did our run, it can be breezy up in the hills but on this occasion we seemed to have the wind behind us. It is a very friendly run, with parents doing most of the marshalling, but it still had some of the razzamatazz associated with racing, as when we turned the corner for the final home straight there was a lone piper to welcome us , and then as we reached the school – the school pupils lined the street to wave us on with cheerleaders’ pompoms and high fives !
There was even a finish tape held out for all runners, not just the winners – allowing me to enjoy the rare satisfaction of crossing a finishing tape.
The whole event had a really friendly community feel to it, and topped off with some delicious home baking was a run to remember.
The unfinished sentence... 