Departments
Over 50 kids dressed in their pyjamas braved sub zero temperatures to run the Great Pyjamas Caper in aid of the new pyjamas (www.newpyjamas.org) campaign for Scotland’s new Sick Kids hospital to be built in Edinburgh.
The Great Pyjamas Caper is a one kilometre race down Holyrood Road and into Holyrood Park, finishing at the Scottish Parliament. Parents pushing toddlers in push chairs joined in too – wearing their pyjamas!
The kids had a fun warm up beforehand with a helping hand from Scotty, a two metre tall Scotty Dog, dressed in kilt and sporran and borrowed from Jog Scotland
As the Great Pyjamas Caper started, the leaders set a punishing pace as they steamed down Holyrood Road. The winner was eleven- year -old Stephanie Booth from Windermere in Cumbria, who had arrived in Edinburgh with her mother the previous day. Stephanie was thrilled to win and to receive a new pyjamas limited edition Steiff teddy bear.
This was the inaugural Great Pyjamas Caper and everyone who took part wants to do it again next year
Competitors aged from their twenties to their seventies came from all over Scotland and England to take part in the Edinburgh New Year’s Day Triathlon, run by Edinburgh Road Club (www.edinburgh rc.co.uk) and Edinburgh Racing (www.edinburghracing.co.uk)
This Triathlon rose out of the ashes of the annual Edinburgh Triathlon, which had been abandoned due to the temporary closure of the Royal Commonwealth Pool. But a team from Edinburgh Racing & Edinburgh Road Club worked hard to ensure that the Triathlon would take place, only to see it threatened by extreme sub zero temperatures and heavy snowfalls in the days before the event.
48 hours before the Triathlon was due to start, and with nearly 250 competitors expected on the day, the organisers realised that the only way to run the Triathlon would be to rearrange the route. So cyclists were spared the route up Arthur’s Seat as the road was blocked by snow/ice and they cycled to Duddingston Loch instead – three times.
The running section of the Triathlon was to St Margaret’s Loch – twice
The first part of the Triathlon was a 300 metre swim in the Moray House pool, from where competitors sprinted out to their bikes to start the course round to Duddingston. One chap sprinted up the road in his bare feet, having just swum 300 metres
As the day warmed up, more spectators came out to encourage the runners and cyclists and enjoy the carnival atmosphere of music in the street and banners flying, the race was won by Roger Witzbarnes from Manchester Tri Club (www.man-tri-club.org.uk) and Emma Lamont won the ladies race from Fusion Triathlon Club.
Written by a freelancer 1st Jan 2010
Last Updated: January 15, 2010
