MoonWalk set to paint the Capital bright pink

Published on Wednesday 11 June 2008 10:28

EDINBURGH Castle is set to be turned pink in support of the 12,000 people taking part in the charity MoonWalk event this weekend.

The Castle is one of 32 buildings which will be lit up to help spur on the participants as they embark on their 26-mile midnight walk round Edinburgh's streets.

This is the event's third year in the Capital, with organisers hoping to raise 3 million for breast cancer charities.

More than 2m was raised by participants in Edinburgh last year, and this year's walk has attracted a record number of participants.

Nina Barough set up the Walk the Walk cancer charity, which stages MoonWalk, ten years ago.

She said: "The beauty and spirit of the city conjures up a very special atmosphere for the MoonWalk, attracting people from Scotland and all corners of the world.

"We want this year to be even bigger and better to help us reach our 3m fundraising goal."

As well as the Castle, a number of the city's most well-known buildings will be lit up in pink as a way of offering support to the walkers.

These include the Evening News offices, the National Archives of Scotland, Jenners, Edinburgh College of Art, the City Chambers, The National Galleries of Scotland and The Balmoral Hotel's iconic clock tower.

The Camera Obscura will also leave on pink lights as part of the MoonWalk's first ever "paint the town pink" campaign in the Capital.

One of the thousands of participants who will be taking to the streets on Saturday is 50-year-old Agnes Lennox.

Ms Lennox, from School Brae in Cramond, was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2003 and subsequently had to have a mastectomy and chemotherapy.

She set up a successful "wig bank" after her diagnosis, to help chemotherapy patients who cannot afford to buy a wig.

Taking part in the MoonWalk is another way for Ms Lennox to help sufferers.

She said: "A friend who I went through breast cancer with wanted to do it and my sister and another friend are doing it too, so I'm looking forward to it – apart from the blisters."

MoonWalk organisers are still looking for volunteers to help run the event and to encourage walkers along the way. They are particularly keen to find people to work on both Saturday and Sunday mornings. Go to www.walkthewalk.org for details.

Seven Hills challenge looming

AROUND 200 men and women are set to tackle some of Edinburgh's toughest slopes in this year's Seven Hills race on Sunday.

First run in 1980, the annual Seven Hills event is a combination of road-running, cross-country, hill-running, and urban orienteering and attracts runners of all ages and all abilities.

Entrants in the event have to run up and down each of the hills within four hours.

The challenge starts and finishes at Calton Hill, and also takes in the Castle (esplanade), Corstorphine Hill, Craiglockhart Hill, Braid Hill, Blackford Hill and Arthur's Seat.

Organisers expect the race winner to complete the challenge in around 1 hour 30 minutes.