A team of volunteers from the 11th Edinburgh North East (Broughton St Mary’s) Scouts were included in the Edinburgh Marathon Finish Area Crew on 31 May, writes Karen Todd.
They were assigned the task of organising one of the many baggage trucks used to reunite the runners with their belongings after completing the 26.2 miles of the Marathon.
With a staggering 30,000 participants, the Edinburgh Marathon is the third largest marathon in the world and the second largest such event in the UK after London’s. A tall order indeed, to which the Broughton scouts stepped up and played an integral part ensuring the finish area at Pinkie Road, Musselburgh ran like clockwork.
As Finish Area Manager, I must emphasise what an important and back-breaking job the team completed. Emptying a full articulated truck with at least 1,000 bags, and matching each to the individual runner, can be a logistical nightmare. But it’s also one of the most important components to ensure all the runners end their experience and go home happy in warm, dry clothes for a well-earned soak in Epsom salts.
Even with the threat of storm-force gales and torrential rain, an enthusiastic team (led by Scott Richards and John Beaton) arrived ready to face the elements at 8.30am. The scouts actually took charge of two full trucks and successfully organised and reunited over 2,000 bags to exhausted and very thankful race finishers. A massive feat!
Luckily the weather stayed on our side, and apart from a few short but heavy downpours, the event was a resounding success. The Broughton scouts did an outstanding job and the few I saw at the end of a very long day were all still smiling.
A huge thank you from myself and all the rest of the senior race crew, as without them we would never have had the best finish team and the smoothest finish area on record.
