Around 700 runners will re-create the iconic opening scene from Chariots of Fire as they race along a St Andrews beach on Sunday.
The movie’s unmistakable theme by Vangelis will blast out as athletes take on the annual 5k Chariots of Fire Beach Race on the West Sands.
With competitors all dressed in white, and some of them barefoot, the annual event has become synonymous with St Andrews.
And organiser Ben McLeod is delighted to be back after two years of cancellations due to Covid restrictions.
“It’s such a joyous event,” he said.
“The atmosphere is very relaxed but there’s also that feeling of anticipation when the music starts.”
The race also includes pipers at the halfway point and the promise of a fudge doughnut and a beer at the end.
And Ben added: “When you smell 700 fudge doughnuts, it’s something else!”
St Andrews Chariots of Fire race is for serious runners and film fans
Ben launched the Chariots of Fire Beach Race in 2011 with around 100 competitors.
He was manager of three St Andrews restaurants at the time – The Doll’s House, The Glass House and the Grill House.
And he was delighted when he was asked to star as an extra when Danny Boyle remade the film’s opening scene for the 2012 London Olympics, starring Rowan Atkinson.
Although he moved to Berkshire in 2013 to retrain as a teacher, Ben still returns to his former hometown for the race each year.
It normally attracts people from across the world, some of whom are serious runners and others who simply love the thought of copying the Chariots of Fire sequence.
And there is also a children’s one-mile fun run for youngsters aged 11 and under, beginning at 11.30am.
Most of the 700 places for the main event are sold out but there will be a limited chance to sign up on Sunday ahead of the noon start.
All competitors wear white, as the actors do in the film.
And they are encouraged to splash through the sea as they run.
St Andrews bakery Fisher and Donaldson supplies its famous fudge doughnuts.
And all finishers over the age of 18 get a beer from St Andrews Brewing Company.
Children are rewarded with a Jannetta’s ice cream.
Ben added: “It’s all about the mass participation, the music and having a doughnut and a beer on the beach.”
2024 a big year for the beach race
Ben is already gearing up for the 2024 event in the run up to the Paris Olympic Games.
The athletes in the Chariots of Fire movie are training for the city’s Olympics of 1924.
And Ben hopes the centenary will boost the race’s popularity.
“That’s a big one for us,” he said.
“Everybody is talking about The Open in St Andrews in a few weeks time.
“But for me, it’s all about 2024 and the Olympics.”
More details on the Chariots of Fire Beach Race are available here.
VIDEO: Chariots of Fire theme rings out across St Andrews in memory of Vangelis
Conversation