They're all heart and sole up here
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More than 1700 runners took to the roads and trails near the Badaguish Outdoor Centre for the annual Aviemore Half Marathon and 10K for All at the weekend.
Just over 1000 of those competitors took on the full 13.1-mile challenge posed by the main half marathon, which ran from the Badaguish Outdoor Centre to the Macdonald Aviemore Resort.
And despite heavy rain the day before, the races took place in more pleasant conditions.
Andrew Mackenzie, the director of the Speyside Trust, which operates Badaguish, said: "We were lucky with the weather and also quite lucky out on the course as well – apart from a puddle or two. With the weather we'd been having a cancellation could have been on the cards."
He added that he was "thrilled to bits" with the marshalling of the road and the additional signage this year.
And a big highlight for him was the fun run on the Saturday – the only part of the weekend that was hit by the weather.
He said that rainy conditions could have meant that only a handful of children showed up, but that the turnout exceeded all expectations.
"The really stunning bit was imagine getting 200 plus on the fun run the day before despite the weather," he said. "The looks of determination on the little kids' faces were great."
He added that the lack of any serious injuries in the half-marathon was also a plus, with only two or three runners needing minor assistance.
"Any event that uses roads can be dangerous," he said. "So making sure all get home safe and sound [is important]."
And competitors were full of praise for the stewards and organisers. Numerous runners took to the half-marathon's social media pages to pay tribute to the efforts of all those involved.
Jean Bruce said: "Thank you for great organisation. And thank you to whoever was handing out jelly babies at 8km."
* See this week's Strathy for more photos and all the results.
