Records fell and targets were smashed as hundreds took to the wilds of Perthshire at the weekend for the Alliance Trust Cateran Yomp.
The 480 participants crossed the finishing line tired but unscathed after challenging themselves against the stunning but unforgiving landscape.
In doing so they demolished the fund-raising target, raising a massive £250,000 for ABF The Soldiers’ Charity and the Prince’s Trust Youth Business Scotland.
The Yomp challenged walkers of all abilities to go for bronze (22 miles), silver (36.5 miles) or gold (52 miles) in a survival of the fittest on Armed Forces Day and that baton was picked up by a determined group.
Yomping home in first place while shaving three hours off the 2011 record were a team from Alliance Trust who went by the name The Good, The Mad And The Elderly.
The team James Myles, Matt Strachan and Stephen Maddison completed the gold route in 11 hours and 34 minutes, passing through Blairgowrie, Kirkmichael, Spittal of Glenshee and Kirkton of Glenisla in the process.See Tuesday’s Courier for more pictures and full resultsThe time left organisers and fellow competitors astonished, not least as they changed into trainers to run the last section of the gold challenge, seemingly oblivious to the miles already in their legs.
James said: ”We are ecstatic to have come in first place and honoured to bring home the gold on behalf of Alliance Trust. At times the trail was brutal and rugged, but the whole experience has been hugely rewarding.”
The heavy rain that had fallen on much of Perthshire throughout the week made conditions tricky on large sections of the Cateran Trail.
Some parts were turned into a bog, though competitors reported back that other sections had been untouched by the rain and posed almost as much of a challenge as the firm surface jarred tired legs.
If that wasn’t enough, the participants had to try their hand at a series of additional challenges along the way, including archery and clay pigeon shooting.
By the time the final gold challenge team crossed the finish line at 9.30am on Sunday, having been out on the route for more than 24 hours, organisers estimated that 36 million steps had been taken by the assembled Yompers and a cumulative 18,000 miles covered.
One of the best times was set by a five-strong team of Gurkhas from The Queen’s Own Gurkha Logistic Regiment, based in Hampshire.
Confident in their abilities, they pledged to set a record time and even started one and a half hours after their fellow competitors in a further show of bravado.
They finished in 13 hours and 45 minutes which, though highly impressive, could not beat James, Matt and Stephen.
Organisers were delighted with the success of the event, which saw a record field almost double the 243 that entered in 2011 take part.
Next year’s Cateran Yomp will take place on June 15 and 16, and many of those who tested their endurance and fitness at the weekend are expected to return.
There was also praise for the support teams who ensured that the event was such a success, including those out on the trail throughout the weekend to treat blisters and massage aching limbs.
Alliance Trust chief executive Katherine Garrett-Cox said: ”We are thrilled to go into our second year of the event topping our fundraising total and doubling the number of entrants of last year.
”The 2012 Yomp has been a fantastic success and I was immensely proud to present our outstanding Alliance Trust team with their medals as they crossed the finish line in first place.”
She added: ”We welcome all participants, support teams and volunteers to join us again next year.”
David Fox-Pitt, director of organisers Wildfox Events, said: ”This year’s Yomp was even bigger and better and it’s fantastic to work with the local community to take over such a beautiful part of Scotland and put the Yomp firmly on the map.”
Main photo Malcolm CochraneCourier team proud to support a wonderful eventAmong the weary Yompers to cross the finishing line, exhausted but exhilarated, were members of The Courier’s staff.
Online editor and captain Richard Rooney was joined by deputy editor Steve Bargeton, picture editor John Price and Fife chief reporter Mike Alexander for Team Courier out on the Cateran Trail. We were backed up by Dick Rooney in the support team in a vehicle kindly loaned by John Clark BMW.
Keen to push ourselves to the limit, we set out from Blairgowrie shortly after 7am on Saturday determined to conquer the 52-mile gold challenge.
We crossed the finishing line blistered but elated in a respectable 75th place after 23 hours 19 minutes. However, the office bragging rights go to Courier editor Richard Neville and his team, who made it in around 21 hours and 45 minutes.
As media partners of the event, we were proud to enter a team in one of the country’s top charity endurance events.
Richard Rooney said: ”We did some training for the Yomp but we were by no means prepared for an event like this. Towards the latter stages it was sheer determination that saw us through.
“But we have to say a huge thanks to the organisers and volunteers. Their outstanding support and ecouragement made possible what had seemed to us impossible.”
Getting 400-plus competitors across miles of rugged Perthshire and Angus countryside is a massive logistical task.
The effort of hundreds of safety staff, medics, caterers, masseurs and others was of the highest order, marking the Cateran Yomp as a premium event.
But at the end of the day it is all about raising money for charity Team Courier will have raised around £1,500 and are hugely grateful to all who have donated.
Next year’s Yomp will be slightly earlier, in mid-June.
This newspaper will give it the same thorough coverage but the big question is will Team Courier don its Yomping boots again?
Watch this space.
Courier team photo Phil Hannah