19 June 2011

Record Year for the Martin Currie Rob Roy Challenge

690 people put their best foot forward for the Martin Currie Rob Roy Challenge on Saturday, a spectacular 55 mile hike and bike along the Rob Roy Way between Drymen, Stirlingshire and Kenmore, Perthshire. The challenge is fast becoming one of Scotland’s most successful fundraising events with numbers of participants growing every year.

Participants followed in the footsteps of the outlaw and folk hero Rob Roy MacGregor with a 16 mile hike through the beautiful Trossachs to Callander. Then they got on their bicycles for the tough 39 mile ride via Killin and the south side of Loch Tay to the finish at Kenmore.

Despite a day of relentless rain, 624 of the 690 who started made it over the finish line in Kenmore. Calum Martin, an employee of Martin Currie, set the fastest time the Challenge has ever seen, completing the 55 miles in a blistering four hours and fifteen minutes. Teams included the Abram Scramblers, a group of eighteen members from one family and a couple celebrating their fifteenth year of marriage by completing the event in their original wedding outfits.

Now in its sixth year, the Martin Currie Rob Roy Challenge has raised more than £1.8 million for good causes. This year the sponsors Martin Currie are allocating the money raised to Alzheimer Scotland, NSPCC and Sightsavers. The fundraising target of £400,000 is expected to be met for these charities, pushing the total money raised for good causes by the Event to over £2 million.

Walkers are supported throughout the trek with limitless hot drinks, cakes, fruit and other refreshments at checkpoints and water stops along the trail. Marshals, medics and hill safety teams are on hand to respond quickly and efficiently along the way.

The rain did nothing to dampen the spirits of the participants and their friends and families who celebrated on Saturday evening with a legendary hog roast feast, a lively ceilidh and later treated to a world class fireworks show.

“With numbers climbing every year the Martin Currie Rob Roy Challenge is clearly going from strength to strength” commented David Fox-Pitt, Director of WildFox Events. “We are confident that we’ll top the £315,000 raised for charities last year.”

Check out our Flickr site to see WildFox’s top selection of Rob Roy 2011 images.