Meet some of the students and staff running in the Edinburgh Marathon Festival this weekend
This weekend, thousands of people across Edinburgh will lace up their running shoes and put in the miles across a variety of different events, ranging from a 5k all the way up to a full marathon. Whether running to raise money for charity, or simply to challenge yourself, just getting out and taking part is an achievement in itself. We’ve caught up with some of the students and staff from Edinburgh College who are taking part:
Katelyn Mitscavitch – 21 – Level 5 Mechanics – Running the 10k
“I’ll be running the 10k to raise money for Rethink Mental Illness, a charity which specialises in providing support for people struggling with their mental health. I’m doing it in honour of my boyfriend Steven Feenan, who sadly passed away last year aged 25. Steven suffered from schizophrenia, and spent a lot of his life in various institutions, so my goal is to try and help people like him. I’m not much of a runner, but I’ve been going out every two to three days for the last six weeks, gradually building up the distances. I don’t really have a finish time in mind, but I feel confident and I’m just happy to be taking part and raising awareness.”
If you’d like to donate to Katelyn, you can do so here.
Liam Borthwick – 17 – HNC Sport Coaching and Development – Running the half marathon
“I’ll be running the half marathon this year, and I’m aiming to raise as much money as possible for Asthma and Lung UK, in memory of my granny who we lost last year to COPD. She’s a massive part of why I’m running, but I’m also doing it just to try and push myself. I’d love to do it in under two hours, and my training has been decent. I’ve been going out consistently for runs and cycles, and I play football too so that’s helped a lot.”
If you’d like to donate to Liam, you can do so here.
Nicole Barbour – 38 – HNC Sport Coaching and Development – Running the 5k
“I’ll be running the 5k this year, and I’m really hoping to hit a recorded PB. My aim is to finish in under 27 minutes, and I could potentially do sub 25 but I’m trying to give myself a bit of slack since I’ve never ran the route before. I’ve been doing two strength training sessions a week, alongside one HITT and a long run too.”
Logan Walker – 29 – Communications and PR Officer – Running the half marathon
“This year I’m running the half marathon, to try and raise a bit of money for the Hibernian Community Foundation. I’ve lived in Edinburgh for almost six years now, and I’ve seen first-hand the difference their work makes. They help support some of the most vulnerable people in our city, (regardless of their team affiliation), by offering hot food and warm spaces, alongside the likes of foodbanks and community initiatives. I’m hoping to turn in a sub-2-hour time, and I’ve been running 4 times a week for a while now in preparation. It’s always a great day and I can’t wait to get running.”