Chariots of Fire Beach Race

Exciting times! What a venue to return to after Sunday Run Club! A venue worthy of a mighty fudge doughnut! 🍩🏃‍♂️🏃‍♀️🏃🍩

It's not about the numbers.

It's never been about the numbers.

How do you quantify a crisp, cold beer at the end of a hard, warm run along West Sands? Or a Fisher & Donaldson fudge doughnut you've been anticipating since January? The unfettered joy of running en masse down the beach, Vangelis blaring?

We don't think numbers can answer that.

We could fit another couple of hundred on the beach, no problem. More folk could share the experience. We could generate even more money for charity.

But we won't.

Because we think we've built something rather special: a community event that people return to year after year. We do it with a small team and a frankly disproportionate amount of enthusiasm. We don't enjoy seeing folk miss out, but neither do we want to get bloated and, in growing, dilute or even lose the magic.

Since 2011, when this started life as a small, personal fundraiser and an homage to that famous opening scene from Chariots of Fire, it's grown well beyond its roots. People now travel from far and wide just to run on this beach, in this race, all in white.

And yet, the size was never the point.

The experience was. It always will be.

Anyway, in case you were curious about the numbers...

**800 entrants.
200+ kids in the children's race — a first for us.
A 20-minute sell-out.
300 people on the waiting list. (Sorry. Although also not sorry - see above)
And a record £13,000 raised for the RNLI , Families First St Andrews , Home-Start NE Fife, the Wave Project, St Andrews Environmental Network and the British Heart Foundation.**

None of that happens without the people who show up, and the businesses and organisations who back us year after year.

St Andrews West , Fisher & Donaldson, Jannettas Gelateria, the Old Course Hotel, Rotary and many more besides — thank you.

West Sands Ranger Service are 365-day heroes who always go the extra mile to help us pull this off. We're so very grateful to them, and to everyone who contributes — especially the volunteers who smile through it all. And warm thanks to our neighbours - Wild Scottish Sauna, Blown Away, and, of course, the AWESOME Dook .

Brilliant collaborators, particularly Blast Running and East Neuk First Responders, know exactly what is required and have never let us down - allowing us to focus on you all, and your experience.

But most of all, thank you to you, the entrants.

We said it wasn't about the numbers.

It really isn't.

But we absolutely LOVE seeing 800 of you beauties set off down that amazing beach every year.

**THANK YOU!**

See you all again next year.

**06.06.27 🏖️**

[Photo credit: The Courier UK]

,

**Bandits, and belated congratulations**

We don't take ourselves too seriously here at Chariots, but that doesn't mean that our entrants don't treat this like a serious event.

We appreciate that Chariots means different things to different people - for some it's a braw day oot with a doughnut at the end, but for others it is a race they have targetted and want to run a competitive time - both have their place - the beach is big enough to accommodate runners of all motivations.

Today, we want to both apologise for the failure to credit an age category winner correctly on the day, and to celebrate her achievement in a way that didn't happen back in June.

Accidents can sometimes occur, and we are satisfied that the mix up that led to the wrong runner being accredited as first V60 woman was an unintentional mistake where two bibs were mixed up by a couple. The unintended consequence was that the rightful winner of the category saw another runner claim the prize based on a time run by a much younger man.

It's a long way off and we will issue a reminder nearer the 2027 event, but unauthorised bib swaps are not always the victimless crime they might appear to be and we must ask that entrants respect this and take extra care to run with the bib allocated - especially if collecting one for a friend or your partner.

In the meantime, please join us in congratulating Pauline Henderson belatedly on her fine time and victory in the V60 category. She’ll be back to defend her V60 title next year.

(Come back tomorrow for an announcement about sums raised.)

Feel like we have a duty to spam this post!!! 😋😋😋

Be honest, when was the last time you had one?

Ya dancer!!!

When you wake up from this (early) morning’s events in Boston (no spoilers here, 😉), celebrate that Jannettas Gelateria has been included in the Sunday Times best ice cream shops in the UK.

(Yes, we all know that it is a gelateria - will we tell them, or do you want to - awkward…)

We’ve known all along, but it’s nice to know that the rest of the population gets to find out this open secret.

Honourable mention to Fisher & Donaldson, whose FIFA World Cup Scotland-themed biscuits (and fudge doughnuts, OBVS!) are going down a storm.

Right, now get back to your boogie-ing!

You’re in safe hands with this team - and all for a great cause!

Reminds us of Chariots 2025!!! Soggy, especially for June!

Hear, hear!

Thanks to all who strive to make the beach environment safer, cleaner and more enjoyable for all.