Forres four climb every mountain in epic Swiss marathon trip
Register for free to read more of the latest local news. It's easy and will only take a moment.
INTERLAKEN was the destination for four Forres Harriers who made their way to Interlaken to take part in a special event.
Following many months of dedicated training, the group: Paul Rogan, Iain Mcdonald, James Hume and Nick Barr were competing in one of the most demanding marathons in Europe.
They travelled to Interlaken in the Jungfrau region, to take part in a race described as the ‘most beautiful marathon in the world’.
The 26 miles takes in the picturesque town of Interlaken, the stunning glacial valley of Lauterbrunnen, the beautiful ski resort of Wengen (home of the World Cup downhill ski races) before finishing under the north face of the Eiger.
“The ‘sting in the tail’ is the climb in the second half of the race – all 5500 feet of it!” said Nick Barr.
He said that on the day of the race, conditions were perfect with 15 degrees in the town at the start, very little wind and a bright day forecast.
“The atmosphere created by the Swiss for the event was electric with over 4500 runners lining the high street in the town and many bands lining the route.”
Elite runners from around the world went to take part in this unique race, which Nick explained has been growing in popularity every year.
“As the race progressed, the runners passed through Swiss villages lined with hundreds of cheering spectators, each intent of shouting louder than each other, and then out into the countryside alongside glacier-fed turquoise rivers and impressive waterfalls. “
As the runners ascended the near vertical wall of the valley leading to Wengen, Iain Macdonald proved that his arduous mountain training had been worth the effort as he steadily picked off runners, eventually beating Paul Rogan by a mere 17 seconds in a remarkable time of 4hrs and 20 mins.
Nick Barr recorded a time of 4 hrs 53 mins and James Hume, 5 hrs 51 mins.
All the Harriers enthused about the race, the perfect organisation, incredible atmosphere, the beautiful scenery and the dramatic finish against a backdrop of tumbling glaciers and the magnificent Swiss alps.
