Blessed with glorious sunshine, thousands of runners turned out in force to take part in the Kielder Marathon Weekend at Northumbrian Water’s Landal Kielder Waterside Park, with the backdrop of the stunning Kielder Reservoir.

Among the 3,000 runners taking part in the weekend’s activities, which included marathon and half marathon distances as well as junior races and a 10K, were husband and wife marathoners Kyle and Debbie Greig from north east Scotland. And as you will soon read, their trip south was worth the effort.

The marathon's gold medal position was claimed by Kyle who is a member of Metro Aberdeen Running Club. He crossed the finish line in just 2:45:57. Not to be outdone by her husband, Debbie claimed first place in the in the women's race with a time of 3:07:12. Kyle had bought her place in the race for their anniversary and announced that her gift was to have a ‘run around the woods’!

Team GB distance runner Kyle and Debbie, a multiple national triathlon champion and professional triathlete, share their stories about training, competing, and having a life with two small children on their blog, Kyle Runs & Debbie Tris.

Speaking about the overall success of the weekend, Marcus Cram of Events of the North, said: “It’s been a challenging few years globally, and the importance of exercise to people’s physical and mental wellbeing has never been more evident. So to be able to bring people together to celebrate the joys of running and cycling has resonated more strongly than ever this weekend.

“As always, this amazing venue in Northumberland is a big part of what makes the event so special. It’s been brilliant to see people turn out to take part or to cheer others on, and we hope it’s a reflection of brighter days to come. Once again, Kielder has delivered and we look forward to returning in 2023.”

Image: Events Of The North