Wild weather couldn’t dampen spirits at Edinburgh Marathon Festival

A big cheer for Social Bite runners

The weather on the morning of Sunday 26^th May was far from ideal for the Edinburgh Full and Half Marathon runners. They had to tackle near constant rainfall and blustery conditions all along the route.

But like our runners, the Social Bite cheer squad weren’t deterred by poor weather! They braved the conditions on Portobello Promenade with infectious enthusiasm, noisy cowbells, and much needed waterproof ponchos. They brought smiles and a pick-me-up not only to Social Bite runners, but everyone taking on the longer distances.

It was the first time Social Bite’s Communications Manager, Amy, had cheered at a race event.

“What a great thing to be part of!” Amy said. “There’s no way I could run a marathon, so hats off to everyone who did, especially in such horrible weather. We saw loads of great causes go past and felt pleased for all of them. But our soggy screaming always reached fever pitch when we spotted a dark green Social Bite t-shirt approaching. It was such a thrill to see someone running for the movement to end homelessness.”

 

Marathon milestones

There were just shy of 30 Social Bite runners at the Edinburgh Marathon Festival this year, who took on a variety of distances across the weekend.

On Saturday we saw junior runners complete their own runs. Bella, aged 6, took part in her first ever running event by ticking off the Kids Kilometre, before older brother Lewis completed the Junior 2k, beating his time from last year. Well-earned post-race ice creams were enjoyed by both!

Sunday brought on the longer distances and personal achievements all round from Social Bite runners.

Highlights included teams from long-term corporate supporters IOLLA and ChangeWaste taking on the half marathon, as well as several runners completing their first longer distance runs.

Even in the difficult conditions runners were able to smash personal bests. Arron clocked in an impressive 1 hour 37 minutes in his first ever half, and Rolf completed a second sub-three hour marathon in support of Social Bite!

Special mention as well to long-time Social Bite supporter Luke, who completed a marathon ‘hat-trick’ by finishing his third Edinburgh Marathon in as many years for Social Bite.

We’re in awe of the achievements of every one of our Social Bite runners. Well done to you all.

 

Vital funds raised

Alongside digging deep to cover the miles, our amazing runners raised funds to support Social Bite’s work to end homelessness.

With donations still coming through, we’re delighted to say they’ve been able to raise over £7,000. These funds will help Social Bite to continue providing delicious meals, meaningful employment opportunities, and transformative homes for people experiencing homelessness.

A massive thank you to all Social Bite runners for fundraising, to their friends, family, and colleagues who supported them with donations.

 

Could you run in 2025?

Feeling inspired after reading about the Edinburgh Marathon Festival? Registrations for 2025 are open – and places are going fast.

At Social Bite you can secure your spot for free, so why not set yourself a challenge for 2025? You could be part of the biggest running event in Scotland, and join the movement to end homelessness by simply applying today.

Registrations for the Edinburgh Marathon Festival this year sold in out in record time so make sure to apply early to secure your place whilst you can. Our cheer team will see you there!

If you have questions about taking part in the Edinburgh Marathon Festival, or another event, please reach out to the team at community@social-bite.co.uk.