Every year this festival weekend raises millions of pounds for a wide range of charities. The 10K kicks off the weekend's events and many runners will be running for charity with a 'charity place'.
Edinburgh 10K follows a city centre route and boasts stunning views of Edinburgh Castle, the tranquil Dunsapie Loch and the ancient volcano of Arthur's Seat.
Every year this festival weekend raises millions of pounds for a wide variety of charities. You too can get a guaranteed place in the event and make a positive difference at the same time by running for charity.
Charities buy places in this event, then give them to runners who agree to raise money for the charity – these are called charity places. Charity places are a great way to support a cause you're passionate about and use your miles for good.
Committing to raising money for charity gives you motivation to get outside and run, plus all of these extras which will elevate your event experience:
Charities know that raising money is all part of the challenge, which is why they provide advice, branded materials and a personalised online fundraising page to help the donations roll in. Think eye-catching videos for social and traditional collection tins too.
Whether this is your first of fifth running event, you'll need to train for it! Many charities provide training guidance, plans, an online training zone plus access to expert coaches and elite runners too, who can provide exclusive tips for your preparation.
When you show up in Scotland's capital, people need to be able to see clearly that you're supporting a charity. Charities will give you a branded and often personalised t-shirt or vest to wear with pride on the big day, and often a training top too so you look and feel the part.
When you're part way through your run and your energy is flagging, what you need is a boost from cheering squads to keep you moving. Many charities set up a cheer station along the route, keeping an eye out for you to send up a huge cheer as you jog past!
Refreshments and an indulgent post-race sports massage are often provided by charities for their runners. This is the perfect way to recover alongside other people who have run for that cause.
You won't be the only person running for that charity, so it's well worth meeting other runners through the charity's invite-only social media pages! You can organise to meet up for training runs, chat with the charity's expert coaches and share tips and stories with each other to keep the motivation levels running high. You won't be alone in central Edinburgh!
10K runs and charity fundraising go hand-in-hand - which of these charities will you run for?
Dynamic Earth
Holyrood Road
Edinburgh
Edinburgh
EH8 8AS
UK
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The Scottish capital is renowned for its heritage and culture, with medieval architecture and cobbled streets helping to create a spellbinding atmosphere. It's the perfect setting for an active festival of running, with each route taking full advantage of its stunning location.
The Edinburgh Marathon Festival offers an ideal opportunity to explore the historic streets on closed roads and enjoy a Bank Holiday weekend in the Scottish capital.
Starting and finishing near the EMF Hub at Dynamic Earth, this beautiful, scenic route takes place in Holyrood Park in the heart of Edinburgh. The route offers stunning views of Edinburgh Castle and panoramic views of the city.
Runners start on Queens Drive with a 200m downhill section before heading past the steep sides of Arthurs Seat on your right and Dynamic Earth, The Scottish Parliament and Holyrood Palace on your left. Continuing on towards the 1km mark you will pass St. Margaret’s Loch before starting the ascent around the east side of Arthurs Seat.
As you continue the clockwise route around this famous old volcano, you will pass Dunsapie Loch at around 2.5km. Now on the far side of Arthur’s seat at 3km runners can enjoy spectacular views of Duddingston Loch below and across the southside of Edinburgh and beyond towards the Pentland Hills. Approaching the 4km marker you will enjoy a panoramic view of the City.
The route then doubles back on itself along Duddingston Low Road at 5km and through Duddingston Village at 6km. The route joins the Innocent Railway Road through 7km and 8km and then heads back up onto Queens Drive. Passing the 9km it’s now downhill all the way, back through the Start Line again and the final 250m dash to the cheering crowds and the finish line on Holyrood Gait.
The cut off time for the 10K is 1 hour 30 minutes (from when the back of the race crosses the start line).
This event is committed to minimising the impact it has on the local environment, implemented in the following ways:
Wondering whether to run for charity but unsure how to fundraise? Charities are experts in this topic and will provide the reassurance you need. Here are some tips:
Starting your fundraising early gives you the best chance of reaching – and even exceeding – your sponsorship goal.
Keep talking about your fundraising target to your friends, family, colleagues, social media followers - everyone!
Seize the chance to make it your own: sell unwanted clothing online, hold an afternoon tea, host a ticketed dinner party, wash some cars, shave your beard; be inspired!
... I really enjoyed the event. It was well organised and I liked the course which started up by the university and then had a 5 mile downhill run through the city to the coast, followed by an out and back coastal section which was pretty flat.
Really enjoyed this run. Beautiful settings and a fantastic atmosphere.
It's true that this is a perfect race for chasing PBs - I got one today and I hadn't trained as much as I should have.
Couldn’t have picked a better location for my first marathon! Amazing atmosphere with super helpful marshals and wonderful support from spectators especially the welcoming locals who utterly emmersed themselves in the event and were out in their hundreds. Topped off by lovely finish crew who didn’t mind being hugged and sobbed over ecstatically!! and the most beautiful medal and lovely (perfectly fitted) finishers shirt!
The route itself took you through lovely historical parts of the city and then out across the gorgeous coast before returning to the city for a rapturous welcome (despite the crazy headwind along the final four miles!). Terrific choice of route and I bet an experienced marathoner could get quite a pace as it’s relatively flat. A most excellent event and definitely one to recommend!
Reviews thanks to RaceCheck
