THE MARATHON commemorates the run of a soldier, Pheidippides, from a battlefield at Marathon, Greece, to Athens in 490 BC and legend has it that he delivered the momentous message “victory,” then collapsed and died.

The same message could be uttered justifiably by each of the teams who successfully completed the third Forfar Marafun yesterday and thankfully were able to trot on to collect their medals.

Once all the sponsorship money has been collected, the organisers expect that at least £35,000 will have been raised for charity, pushing the total over the three events to close to £120,000, mostly for cancer research at Ninewells Hospital in Dundee.

Local Rotarians are the driving force behind the event but race co-ordinator Jim Nicoll stressed the success is a result of a tremendous community effort.

“Everybody pulls their weight—the Rotarians, Inner Wheel, Scouts, Boys’ Brigade, police and all our other numerous supporters and sponsors. We also rely on the co-operation of the town centre residents who put up with the roads around their homes being closed off. It is total harmony and involvement—it is a wonderful thing,” Mr Nicoll said.

Angus provost Bill Middleton welcomed the 400 runners, who included special guest Tayside Chief Constable John Vine who led a police team round the course. This event attracted 79 relay teams, including five from as far afield as Kelso, each comprising five runners who split the distance between them.

Romping home were Forfar Road Runners A in 2 hours 31 minutes and 47 seconds with their B team second in 2 hours 50 minutes and 9 seconds.

Also below the three-hour mark were third place Jan Shi in 2 hours 58 minutes 28 seconds and fourth placed Brechin Leisure Centre in 2 hours 59 minutes and 4 seconds. Completing the list of first 10 home were Footers Foxy Five, EQ Chartered Accountants, the Five Musketeers, the Whizzers of Oz, Five Under Par and Blair Road Runners.

All the teams completed the event and each runner was presented with a commemorative medal, mug, T-shirt and goody bag.

Primary school pupils from the Forfar area took part in the town’s biggest one-day fund-raiser for the first time and were cheered on by the crowds of supporters who lined the Marafun course.

“They were full of enthusiasm and were past in a flash,” Mr Nicoll said.

“They were all winners and I think they could have done the whole marathon.”

Will there be another Marafun in two years’ time?

Give Mr Nicoll and his fellow Rotarians a chance to catch breath and the answer may be yes.