The return of a popular 10k trail run set on the banks of the mighty River Tay promises to give runners the chance to finally ‘run wild’ again this summer. Starting at the Kenmore Sports Ground near Taymouth Castle, the second Drummond Hill 10K Trail Run will take place on Saturday, 21 August. 

From its scenic start, the off-road (‘very off-road in places’) course will take runners on a muddy, rocky, rooted journey through the stunning hills and trails around Drummond Hill and the banks of the Tay. According to the organisers, the event will be full of ‘proper challenging off-road running’.

A must-do race in its own right, the Drummond Hill 10K Trail Run is actually one of three events that make up the two-day-long Aberfeldy Multi-Sport Festival (21–22 August 2021). ‘Go Swim Loch Tay’ takes place on the Saturday and the British and Scottish Middle Distance Triathlon Championships – with a 1900m Loch Tay swim, 90km road cycle over the shoulder of Schiehallion and 21k run around Loch Rannoch – on the Sunday.

Race director Richard Pearson told runABC Scotland online: “We set out to create a multi-sports festival that has something for everyone. The Drummond Hill 10K contributes in many ways to fulfilling that ambition. We’re really excited about its return this year and the opportunity to build on its 2019 success.”  

The organisers have made their commitment to a cleaner environment an even bigger priority for 2021. To ‘raise their sustainability game’, they'll be removing single-use cups from feed stations at all their events – including Drummond Hill. In their place, runners will be given a re-usable, foldable ‘soft cup’ as part of their race entry, to be carried with them on the course if they wish to take any refreshments. 

As Pearson explained: "Feed station cups are one of our biggest sources of waste and we want to ensure our events are as sustainable as possible without hindering competitor experience. At some of our events we also give competitors a 'no T-shirt' option where instead the cost of that T-shirt will be donated to charity."

In addition to the reusable soft cup, entry to the Drummond Hill Trail 10K Run includes chip timing, a hand-made finishers’ medal, and a fully marked and marshalled course. 

Pearson told us: “The Drummond Hill Trail Run is truly awe-inspiring and we believe we’ve created a proper trail running experience for our competitors. Over the last 12 months we’ve seen a huge increase in people taking part in activities that take us back to nature – open water swimming, off road cycling and trail running in particular – and I’m sure the trail run will continue to thrive on the back of this.”

Image courtesy: Durty Events