Four friends – Iain Coates, Robin Fainting, Malcolm Jack and Colin McRae – and 12 volunteers have taken on the challenge of running nine races in 10 months, dressed as the Loch Ness Monster.The Loch Ness Monster
"We wanted to raise as much money as possible, so we decided to go for a costume that would really stand out at races," Malcolm says.
Nessie was chosen after a straw poll among friends in Edinburgh who suggested the idea knowing they didn’t have to run with it. The model was designed and built by Colin, Iain and Robin, with a lot of help from Robin’s mother on the fabric design and creation.
"The model is approximately 12 feet high and can be a bit awkward if the wind blows the wrong way," he says.
Raising money to help more people beat cancer
The team have set a fundraising target of £25,000. They have already raised more than £4,000 for Cancer Research UK by running the Great North Run as a Viking Long Boat and Loch Ness Monster over the last four years.
Initially the team decided to run in memory of Colin's dad, Ken McRae, who sadly lost his battle with cancer of the oesophagus in 2002.
“Since then, we have re-doubled our efforts in support of friends and family members who have also suffered from cancer. The Edinburgh Marathon relay was particularly exciting, because some of our friends joined the team to run in tribute to friends and relatives whom they were close to,” Malcolm says.
As well as raising more funds for Cancer Research UK, the team is also supporting Scottish Love in Action. If you'd like to support the four friends on their fundraising efforts, you can sponsor the CharitableNESS team online.
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