Pupils take their marks for £40,000 fundraising effort

Published on Saturday 2 May 2009 11:28

PUPILS taking part in tomorrow's Great Edinburgh Run have raised tens of thousands for the charity that helped their classmate after he suffered a spinal injury in a horrific rugby accident.

Pupils and teachers at Merchiston Castle School were given a final training session yesterday by Bernard Kipyego – the 2008 Bupa Great Edinburgh Run champion – and 2004 Olympic marathon bronze medal winner, Deena Kastor, ahead of the event.

The 18-year-old is still recovering after a scrum collapsed during a match in September last year.

More than 200 pupils and teachers from the Colinton school will take on the 10km course tomorrow and have already raised 40,000 for Capital-based charity Hearts and Balls which is helping the youngster's recovery.

The Merchiston runners will be the Evening News-backed event's largest single group, which will also include headmaster Andrew Hunter and more than 50 parents.

The fundraiser was the brainchild of one of the injured teenager's best friends, Patrick Costello, who said he was amazed to smash his original fundraising goal of 10,000.

He said: "This is such a worthwhile cause and he is such a good friend to many people in the year. He is very happy that we are doing it, although I think he was a bit shocked at first to find out how many people are doing it.

"He comes into school every Wednesday and has started to get the feeling and movement in his arm again."

Hearts and Balls helps rugby players who have suffered spinal injuries to get moving again by providing new wheelchairs, specialist mattresses, car insurance for specialist vehicles, and even carers.

Tomorrow's event will be televised for the first time, on TV channel Five. Images of runners passing by some of Edinburgh's best known landmarks will be broadcast live nationwide and organisers hope the event will showcase the city's attractions as well as the race.

Thousands of runners will be encouraged by pipers at every kilometre marker and three or four live bands.

From George IV Bridge, participants will cross the Royal Mile and run down The Mound into Princes Street Gardens.

After crossing Waverley Bridge they will then rejoin the Royal Mile, passing Holyrood Palace and the parliament, before turning into Holyrood Park and following Queen's Drive beneath Salisbury Crags.

Heading up St Leonard's Street, runners will pass along the length of Cowgate and the Grassmarket before heading down to the Meadows and up Buccleuch Street and Potterrow towards the finish.