MOTHER’S Day will be marked differently this year for a group of eight mums.
Instead of flowers and chocolates, they will be lacing up their running shoes to take on the Barcelona Marathon for charity.
The group, from Dunbar, East Linton and West Barns, are doing their bit for Cancer Research UK and, before jetting off to Spain, are holding another fundraiser, for The Wave Project.
Jacqui Randle is among those getting ready for the double fundraiser.
She said: “We wanted to run a race, definitely a marathon, and somewhere flat and hot.
“We wanted one we knew would be interesting – lots of sights to see and a wee trip away was definitely an incentive as well!
“It is nice and flat and we felt we could accomplish it together. [None of us have] done it [Barcelona Marathon] before so there was the novelty factor as well.”
Joining Jacqui on the start line will be Claire Burns, Nicky Hamilton, Michelle Kennedy, Cath Munro, Caroline Phifer-Jones, Jo Pilarska and Sarah Watson.
Between them, the mums, who are aged between 38 and 48, have 17 children but will be spending March 19 in Spain. While some of the runners have completed marathons before, it will be the first time for others, and the first time in the Barcelona race for each of them.
Jacqui said: “Training has been good but intensive.
“We have been using East Lothian and John Muir trails as our playground for training.
“There have been a lot of folk out in the dark and cold nights training over the winter but we have all stuck at it.
“Hopefully, we can all run on the day.
“It has been good: we’ve all been pretty diligent and kept each other going.”
The 26.2-mile course in Barcelona will take runners throughout the city.
The eight women, who know each other through West Barns Primary School and the nearby Sports + Fitness Hub, are raising funds for Cancer Research UK.
Jacqui told the Courier that running for a cancer charity had proven a popular choice.
She said: “We had a little vote on which charity to go for and everybody wanted a cancer charity.”
However, they are also raising money for The Wave Project, which is based at Belhaven Bay.
The charity uses the power of the sea to improve the mental health of children and young people.
A virtual dog racing evening takes place at West Barns Bowling Club tomorrow (Friday), with doors opening at 7.30pm.
Tickets are free of charge, with the first race getting under way at 8.15pm.
There will also be a bar; to register a ticket, go to www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/who-let-the-dogs-out-virtual-dog-racing-night-tickets-554721846977
Go to justgiving.com/fundraising/eight-run-in-barcelona to make a donation
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