Ben Nevis Race Association 2024
On Saturday 7th Sept 2024, 420 athletes took to the start line, ready to undertake one of the most brutal and gruelling Ben Nevis Races ever, as it coincided with the hottest day of the year so far, with high temperatures of around 28 degrees and absolutely no cooling breeze either low down or higher up on the mountain.
As if the distance and height involved in racing up to the top of Britain’s highest mountain and back, wasn’t enough, the high temperature was certainly a significant deciding factor on whether this challenge could be completed or not. As a consequence of the searing heat, there were 45 retirees and 375 finishers out of the 420 starters with many realising quite early on that it was not going to be possible to complete the race due to heat, dehydration, fatigue etc. Others managed to cope with the conditions and complete the race but all who completed the race suffered from dehydration, with some requiring to be transferred to hospital due to dehydration/heat stroke. Massive thank you to Graeme Corner, and Mowi Scotland, for supplying and delivering around 25 Boxes of crushed ice, at very short notice, which was great for cooling down runners that were struggling in the heat
As the race progressed and the day became hotter, it became clear that providing attention, care, shade and water for the finishers was becoming more and more important. Despite 1,000 bottles of water being provided for the 420 runners, resources became a bit stretched as athletes crossed the line in varying levels of distress. The race organisers would, therefore, like to thank the exceptional work, care and attention that many volunteers and members of the public provided for the runners, as everyone ‘rolled their sleeves up and got stuck in’ to help manage a challenging and stressful situation.
On the hill, a team of 20 marshals plus mountain rescue personnel supported, encouraged and cared for the runners and their expertise, clear communication and ‘professionalism’ was invaluable to both the runners and the hundreds of walkers who were also struggling their way up Ben Nevis.
Once again, the resilience of people shone through and 375 runners completed the Ben Nevis Race. Times were probably about 30 minutes slower due to the heat but setting good times are for another day in better conditions, the mere fact that so many completed such an incredible challenge is real credit to their determination and mettle. A huge WELL DONE to all!
Once again the organisers would also like to thank the support and contributions of the following:
Ben Nevis Distillery
Spean Pharmacy (Mhor Health)
Nevis Cycles
Cafe Mara
Nevis Bakery
Off Beat Bikes
Campbell Plant Hire
The Hire Centre
Great Glen Creative
MacPherson Welding
Keith Stephens
Highland Industrial Supplies
Brakes Foodservice
MOWI
