Chilly Willy Beach Race turns tide on lockdown race drought
Runners dip their toes into the North Sea and the new normal of racing at St Andrews event
Racing returned to St Andrews on Saturday night (29 August), as 48 hardy runners headed along the town’s iconic West Sands and into the North Sea for a ‘nice, cooling refreshing dip’ – twice – at the Chilly Willy Beach race.
Brian Cruickshank of event organisers Trails of Fife told runABC Scotland online: “I had the idea for the race in mind for some time, and was just waiting on the go-ahead on events from the government. I thought a figure of around 50 runners would work for the council and the police, and as we had done the ‘Splash and Dash’ in the same location with around 200 runners before, I knew the format would be suitable. I had it all in the back pocket, and just needed to keep an eye on tide tables for a date and time while I waited.”
With just over a week between getting that go-ahead and race day, there was much work to be done to ensure the event, the runners and the volunteers – even the marshal standing in the North Sea (‘not a lot of people are willing to do that’) – would comply with the ‘new normal’.
In the end, the race sold out in less than an hour, and went off without a hitch. Runners were sent off in waves, and maintained social distancing before and after the race itself. "It’s all a bit new, but everyone behaved themselves,"Cruickshank said.
“I’m very grateful for the support of the Fife Coast and Countryside Trust, who look after the coastal paths, core paths and beaches in the area. Without their support, the event would not have happened.”
He added: “The leader of the Trust, Robbie Blythe, actually came up himself on race day to operate the toilets on the West Sands and help us manage the social distancing there. So we’re very grateful to him personally, as well as to the Trust itself.”
As specialists in organising off-road events with around 200 runners, the ‘new normal’ – which points to small events with no narrow trails, no busy car parks and a minimal contact with other runners, walkers or cyclists – worked well for Trails of Fife.
In fact, the race went so well – gaining universal praise from runners and the approval of the Trust – that Cruickshank has been given permission to hold it again at 10.30am on Saturday, 19 September.
“People are desperate to start racing again and I hope these events help get the ball rolling.”
Image courtesy: Pete Bracegirdle