Beast broken in Loch Ness!

Hundreds tackle brutal obstacle course and raised thousands of pounds for charity

Almost 1,800 people endured the 10km route in the Prime Four Beast Race at Aldourie Castle Estate by Loch Ness, 40 per cent more than took part in last year’s event.

Jono Buckland, director at organisers FireTrail Events, said: “Our participants told us they wanted it to be tougher than ever before, so we ramped it up, and challenged them to try and break the beast.  Of course in the face of a course of this magnitude our Prime Four Beast Race participants rose to the challenge, with endurance, a sense of community and no shortage of humour. It was indeed a spectacular, muddy, fun-filled party.”

Now in its fifth year, the race was bigger and bolder than ever before and featured a strength-sapping new 10km route across Aldourie castle estate.  The new-look course also included more merciless obstacles for participants to overcome such as the icy cold Looney Dook and the perilous Black Hole.

The official charity partner for the event is Chest Heart and Stroke Scotland (CHSS), for which more than £128,000 has been raised so far by Beast Race participants.  That sum will significantly increase after this year’s funds are factored into the equation.

Fife Hyland, communications director at Drum Property Group, developers of Prime Four, sponsors, added: “What a Prime Four Beast Race that was at Loch Ness. With a significant rise in numbers, it was brilliant to see so many new participants, facing up to what was – by some distance – the most brutal beast yet.”

The second (and final) Prime Four Beast Race of the series takes place in Banchory outside Aberdeen on September 23.

Winners

Men: 1 Ayraan Khalid 00.50.29.781; 2 Steven Curnyn 00.53.56.320; 3 Scott Brown 00.56.48.469

Women: 1 Coralie Arthur 01.02.59; 2 Antje Horn 01.08.10; 3 Bryony Keys 01.11.09.