# Caledonian Challenge adds off-road Marathon

- Link: https://fundraising.co.uk/2012/02/05/caledonian-challenge-adds-offroad-marathon/
- Published: 2012-02-05T11:15:16+00:00
- Author: Howard Lake

![](https://www.fundraising.co.uk/files/images/news/caledonian-challenge.jpg)

The Caledonian Challenge, the 54-mile trek that raises nearly £1 million a year 
for charities, has added an off-road marathon course as an alternative for its 2012
event. Participants will be able to choose either to run the marathon course in 
six hours or to hike the hills in twelve hours.

Both courses are set in Scotland’s Highland scenery, with the original Caledonian
Challenge’s 54-mile route taking runners over the West Highland Way.

This year’s event will also enable runners for the first time to choose which charities
will benefit from the money they raise.

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John Mercer, Events Director for the [Scottish Community Foundation](http://www.scottishcf.org),
which organises the Caledonian Challenge, acknowledged that the 24-hour event took
months of training and dedication from runners to prepare for. “Because of the length
of the course,” he said, “we have not seen many endurance athletes or charity runners
opting to run it in previous years. Therefore, we’ve decided to create a brand new
26-mile course for these people to choose to complete rather than the classic 54-
mile trek.”

He added: “We hope that this will encourage more athletes to enter the 2012 event
and tackle what promises to be the most stunning and challenging marathon in the
whole of the UK this year.”

The Caledonian Challenge is open to teams of four to six people and participants
must pledge a minimum of £400 each for charity by the deadline of 31 March 31, although
early bird discounts are also available to entries submitted by 14 February.

www.caledonianchallenge.com/takepart

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