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Double win for BrewDog Run event in 2020 Running Awards


By Kyle Ritchie

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The 21-mile BrewDog Run challenge won two accolades in the 2020 Running Awards.

The event for runners that begins in Aberdeen and finishes in Ellon won the gold medal in the UK's top fun run award and was awarded silver in the best medal category.

It sees a large number of people from the Ellon community take part, including the Newburgh Dunes Running Club.

It was founded by Aberdeen ultra-distance runner David Scott during Storm Frank in December 2015, when he wanted to take advantage of a strong tail wind and the direction it was blowing lead him to Ellon.

The finish line
The finish line

He said: "I found myself at the gates of BrewDog's DogTap and after a short period rehydrating inside, a bus back to Aberdeen proved far more appealing than facing the same winds from the opposite direction. And so the BrewDog Run was born.

"December 2016 saw the first organised event, with a handful of runners setting off from Aberdeen’s Central Library, and a few more joining en route.

"Runs three, four and five followed in June, October and December 2017, with numbers growing each time to the point that demand is outstripping capacity."

It was continued to be held during those months in the years that followed, but the coronavirus pandemic meant they were unable to be held last year.

The first leg of the run is a 10k from the city centre to Dyce and from there the next 12k leg sees the runners head north on the railway line, past Newmachar and on to Udny Station.

On the 9k third leg the runners continue north on the railway line until they reach Ellon and the final 3k leg takes them to the finish line at BrewDog's Dogtap.

Scott is assisted with the organisation of the event through the Fit Like Joggers club.

The last run saw 130 people take part and around 30 volunteers help out along the route. Runners from all over the UK travel to take on the challenge.

He added: "For many of the runners it may be the longest run they have undertaken. For others, it will be a walk in the park. Whatever their story, we hope they enjoy taking on the challenge amongst a great group of friendly and encouraging people.

"The primary focus is on having a leisurely and friendly run. That means we encourage people to wait at junctions, re-group, support one another, and keep at a pace that you can maintain a conversation.

"There is a lot of people that take part who are Ellon based. Newburgh Dunes Running Club promote it among themselves and there is a lot of runners from Ellon that join them. They get involved and come along in good numbers.

"We work closely with the folks at BrewDog, but the event is not organised by them."

In the 2020 Running Awards it took the top place in the fun run category with the Vitality Westminster Mile taking silver and Exeter College Running Club's Cranbrook Country Park Family Fun Run awarded bronze.

In the best medal award the BrewDog Run was only beaten by the Marathon des Sables, a six-day, 251km ultra marathon across the Sahara Desert. The Mad Dog 10k run by Southport Hesketh Round Table won bronze.

Scott said that each medal the BrewDog Run hands out to the participants is handmade.

He added: "It was a real surprise when I heard we had won the awards.

"I knew we had been shortlisted but even those are 20 plus names long, so I was very surprised we came top and second.

"It recognises the work that all the volunteers put in. Also the people that run it all find it is a very cultural thing, it's very much a case of joining in, participating, making friends, speaking to people, enjoying it, and challenging yourself."

The next run is planned to be held on June 5 but Scott said it will all depend on the coronavirus restrictions at that time.


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