News

• Baxters Loch Ness Marathon Encourages Healthy Working Lives - June 2008
• 2008 Highlands and Islands Food and Drink Awards - May 2008
• Baxters Extend Sponsorship Term for Loch Ness Marathon - March 2008
• Kenyan Zakary Kihara wins Baxters Loch Ness Marathon for second time - October 2007
• Baxters Loch Ness Marathon in the Running for Prestigious VisitScotland Thistle Award - August 2007
• Baxters Loch Ness Marathon to be Televised for First Time - August 2007
• Inaugural Raid Voted Massive Success - May 2007
• Spaniard Wins 2007 Fionnar Forestry Commission Glen Affric Duathlon - April 2007
• Exciting New Mountain Biking Event in the Highlands - March 2007

   

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    BAXTERS LOCH NESS MARATHON ENCOURAGES HEALTHY WORKING LIVES
  
  17 June 2008: An exciting new addition to The Baxters Loch Ness Marathon and Festival of Running – the Healthy Working Lives 10K Corporate Challenge – will promote health and fitness in the workplace by encouraging teams of up to six runners to compete in the Baxters River Ness 10k on 5 October this year.
  
  The Healthy Working Lives 10K Corporate Challenge, sponsored by The Scottish Centre for Healthy Working Lives, is open to employers and employees from all sectors of business and industry across Scotland. The winning company will be awarded a specially commissioned Healthy Working Lives trophy.
  
  Aileen Simpson, Assistant Director at the Centre said: "We are delighted to be associated with the Baxters Loch Ness Marathon and Festival of Running. More than 800 Scottish organisations have already discovered the advantages of a fit and healthy workforce through our Healthy Working Lives Award Programme and the new Healthy Working Lives 10K Corporate Challenge will offer organisations an opportunity to promote regular physical activity within the workplace and participate in a new team challenge. “
  
  Malcolm Sutherland, event and race director for Baxters Loch Ness Marathon & Festival of Running said: “It is great to welcome the Healthy Working Lives 10K Corporate Challenge to the Baxters Loch Ness Marathon & Festival of Running this year. By offering a focus for teams we hope to encourage people in all kinds of jobs to get active and to compete in the Challenge.”
  
  Teams entering the Healthy Working Lives 10K Corporate Challenge must comprise a minimum of four and a maximum of six employees from a single organisation or employer. More than one team may be entered by any one organisation or employer. Prizes will be awarded for the fastest team overall, as well as the fastest team from each of the public and private sectors.
  
  The Baxters River Ness 10K route followed by participants in the Healthy Working Lives 10K Corporate Challenge takes competitors from the start on the south-side of Inverness, through the historic Highland capital of Inverness, past the Castle and along the banks of the picturesque River Ness to finish in Inverness Queens Park Stadium. The Festival of Running also incorporates the Baxters Loch Ness Marathon and the Baxters River Ness 5K Fun Run, with all three events finishing in the same arena.
  
  A warm Highland welcome extends to families and companions of runners too. Come along to Inverness’s Queen’s Park Stadium and enjoy the fantastic programme of entertainment on offer, including children’s activities, retail stalls, live music and pipe bands. Visit www.lochnessmarathon.com for more information.
  
  To find out more about the Healthy Working Lives 10K Corporate Challenge team places, and about places available for charity runners, club runners and overseas runners in this year’s Baxters Loch Ness Marathon & Festival of Running, visit www.lochnessmarathon.com or call the hotline on 0870 127 8000.
  

HIGHLANDS AND ISLANDS FOOD AND DRINK AWARDS 2008

20 May 2008: The best food and drink products in the Highlands and Islands are now being sought for annual awards that could really raise their profile. Entries are invited for the fourth Scotland Food and Drink – Highlands and Islands Food and Drink Awards, supported by Highlands and Islands Enterprise, Highlands and Islands Food and Drink Forum and Williamson Foodservice. The Awards celebrate the best of food and drink produced and served in the Highlands and Islands and are open to businesses and individuals involved in the sector throughout the area. The food and drink sector employs over 30,000 people across the Highlands and Islands, with a diverse range of products from fish, shellfish, meat, preserves, dairy, biscuits and confectionary generating sales in excess of £1billion per annum.

 Two new categories have been added to the Awards this year:

• Collaboration in Supply Chains
• People Development

   For further information on the Awards and how to enter, phone 0845 838 2748 or visit www.scotlandfoodanddrink.org.

  Dennis Overton, chairman of the Highland and Islands Food and Drink Forum, said: “With some of the best natural produce in the world in our area, the Highlands and Islands Food and Drink Awards aim to encourage high standards, collaboration and innovation across the industry to help us make the most of this valuable resource.”  

  Paul McLaughlin, chief executive of Scotland Food and Drink, said: "Highlands and Islands are the source of some of the best quality produce in the world, and these awards recognise those who continue to raise the standards.  Scotland Food and Drink is founded on a principle of collaboration, where the industry can achieve more by working together than the sum of its individual parts, so we are pleased to sponsor the inaugural award for Collaboration in the Supply Chain”.

   

   

  Gary Williamson, managing director of Williamson Foodservice and title sponsor of the event, said: “We are delighted to once again be involved with the awards and are looking forward to seeing what Highland businesses have been doing these past 12 months. The inclusion of two new categories reflects the fact that food and drink companies need to invest in their people to continue to develop and that in these times of rising costs collaboration between firms can result in market success.”

  Mey Selections of Caithness were winners of the Highlands and Islands Food and Drink Excellence Award in 2007, and went on to scoop two Scotland Food and Drink Excellence Awards earlier this month. Danny Miller, Chairman, Mey Selections, said: “Winning the Excellence Award at last year’s Highlands and Islands Food and Drink Awards was an important endorsement and incentive for all those involved with Mey Selections.  By featuring the award on our literature we have aimed to give additional confidence to the consumer as to the exceptional quality of our products from the North Highlands, uality of our brand row, ctions.with coupled with their provenance and sustainability attributes.  This in turn has contributed to the huge success and growth of the brand.”

  Bogbain Highland Market of Inverness won the New Business Award in the Scotland Food and Drink Highlands and Islands Food and Drink Awards 2007 and owner Bruce Macgregor has since seen a positive effect on the business. Bruce said: “Winning the award helped the food side of our business to be taken seriously, with a significant increase in group bookings. And it was a great boost to staff morale for their work to make Bogbain Highland Market a success to be recognised at a high level. “

   

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  BAXTERS EXTEND SPONSORSHIP TERM FOR LOCH NESS MARATHON
  
  BAXTERS EXTEND SPONSORSHIP TERM FOR LOCH NESS MARATHON

   

  31 March 2007: Baxters Loch Ness Marathon & Festival of Running organisers are pleased to announce the Fochabers-based food firm have confirmed their sponsorship of the event for a further three years.
  
  Baxters Food Group has been title sponsor for the Loch Ness Marathon since the inaugural event in 2002. Since the event was established, entries have grown by a record 267%.
  
  Kerr Arthur, marketing director at Baxters, said: “Our sponsorship of the Loch Ness Marathon & Festival of Running, which has become a major fixture in the UK’s running calendar since its inception in 2002, underlines our commitment to promoting a healthy, balanced diet and active lifestyle.”
  
  “We recognise that healthy eating and fitness go hand in hand, which is why our nutritionally balanced Healthy Choice soups have been specifically developed to provide a convenient and tasty way of topping up the body’s energy stores.”
  
  “We also recognise the importance of the event to the area and, as part of our pledge to support the local community, we didn’t hesitate to sign up to continue our title sponsorship of the event for the next three years.”
  
  Malcolm Sutherland, event & race director for Baxters Loch Ness Marathon & Festival of Running said: “We are delighted that Baxters have confirmed their ongoing support to the Loch Ness Marathon & Festival of Running for a further three years. The sponsorship from Baxters has helped to make sure that this event is now within the top three Marathons in the UK, raising a massive £400,000 for charity and bringing an estimated £1million worth of economic benefit to the area.”
  
  

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    KENYAN ZAKARY KIHARA WINS BAXTERS LOCH NESS MARATHON FOR SECOND TIME

  BAXTERS EXTEND SPONSORSHIP TERM FOR LOCH NESS MARATHON : Baxters Loch Ness Marathon & Festival of Running organisers are pleased to announce the Fochabers-based food firm have confirmed their sponsorship of the event for a further three years. Baxters Food Group has been title sponsor for the Loch Ness Marathon since the inaugural event in 2002. Since the event was established, entries have grown by a record 267%. Kerr Arthur, marketing director at Baxters, said: “Our sponsorship of the Loch Ness Marathon & Festival of Running, which has become a major fixture in the UK’s running calendar since its inception in 2002, underlines our commitment to promoting a healthy, balanced diet and active lifestyle.” “We recognise that healthy eating and fitness go hand in hand, which is why our nutritionally balanced Healthy Choice soups have been specifically developed to provide a convenient and tasty way of topping up the body’s energy stores.” “We also recognise the importance of the event to the area and, as part of our pledge to support the local community, we didn’t hesitate to sign up to continue our title sponsorship of the event for the next three years.” Malcolm Sutherland, event & race director for Baxters Loch Ness Marathon & Festival of Running said: “We are delighted that Baxters have confirmed their ongoing support to the Loch Ness Marathon & Festival of Running for a further three years. The sponsorship from Baxters has helped to make sure that this event is now within the top three Marathons in the UK, raising a massive £400,000 for charity and bringing an estimated £1million worth of economic benefit to the area.”
  BAXTERS EXTEND SPONSORSHIP TERM FOR LOCH NESS MARATHON : Baxters Loch Ness Marathon & Festival of Running organisers are pleased to announce the Fochabers-based food firm have confirmed their sponsorship of the event for a further three years. Baxters Food Group has been title sponsor for the Loch Ness Marathon since the inaugural event in 2002. Since the event was established, entries have grown by a record 267%. Kerr Arthur, marketing director at Baxters, said: “Our sponsorship of the Loch Ness Marathon & Festival of Running, which has become a major fixture in the UK’s running calendar since its inception in 2002, underlines our commitment to promoting a healthy, balanced diet and active lifestyle.” “We recognise that healthy eating and fitness go hand in hand, which is why our nutritionally balanced Healthy Choice soups have been specifically developed to provide a convenient and tasty way of topping up the body’s energy stores.” “We also recognise the importance of the event to the area and, as part of our pledge to support the local community, we didn’t hesitate to sign up to continue our title sponsorship of the event for the next three years.” Malcolm Sutherland, event & race director for Baxters Loch Ness Marathon & Festival of Running said: “We are delighted that Baxters have confirmed their ongoing support to the Loch Ness Marathon & Festival of Running for a further three years. The sponsorship from Baxters has helped to make sure that this event is now within the top three Marathons in the UK, raising a massive £400,000 for charity and bringing an estimated £1million worth of economic benefit to the area.”
   

7 October 2007: Zakary Kihara was a convincing winner of the 2007 Baxters Loch Ness Marathon today, crossing the finish line in a time of 2 hours 23 minutes and 17 seconds. Moray Anderson of Corstorphine Amateur Athletics Club in Edinburgh took second place (2:30:56). In third place was Andrew Farquharson, from Kent (2:35:10).

Over 5600 runners lined up for Baxters Festival of Running this morning, on a bright October day, which brought out crowds of spectators to support all the runners .

The women's race was won by Banuelia Katesigwa from Tanzania in a time of 2:55.04, with Shona McIntosh of Glasgow taking second place in a time of 3:04:29  and Lydia Schumacher from USA taking third (3:06:35).

Victory in the Baxters River Ness 10K went to Jean Ndayasenga, originally from Burundi, and running for Birchfield Harriers in Birmingham, who crossed the line in 30 minutes and 36 seconds, with Barney Phillips from Aberdeen Athletics Club in second (31:57) and Andrew Douglas from Caithness AAC in third (32:08). In the women’s race Bridget Coomber  (Denby Dale Travellers) won in a time of 37.43. Second in the 10K was local Inverness runner, Morag Ross of Inverness Harriers (38.25), followed by Julia Henderson from Helensburgh (38:45) in third place.

The event not only attracted elite Scottish, international and club runners, but also proved massively popular with amateurs, joggers and those who were running to raise money for charity. Last year's event raised a fantastic £408,311, and looks set to raise even more. Fifty different nationalities were represented in today’s races, with athletes from as far afield as Australia, Brazil, Japan,  Kenya, New Zealand and Trinidad.

Kerr Arthur, Marketing Director of Baxters Food Group, presented the awards to all the winners at the prize-giving presentation for the Baxters Loch Ness Marathon and the River Ness 10K. He commented: “It’s been a fantastic day. Congratulations to everyone who took part, and our thanks must go to everyone who supported the charities associated with the event and to all the volunteers.”

Malcolm Sutherland, Event & Race Director said: “We’re delighted so many runners from throughout Scotland, the UK and overseas took on the challenge of Loch Ness, the 10K or 5K Fun Run. It’s been a great day for all involved, and we would like to thank all our volunteers and our charities for their tremendous support in making it such a success.”

The Festival of Running has a tremendous impact on the local economy as runners, their supporters and the local community head to Inverness and the Loch Ness area to soak up the race weekend atmosphere; almost £1million was spent on accommodation, food and activities in 2006.

Thousands lined the final few miles along the route in the autumn sunshine to support the runners as they came into the Queens Park Stadium in Inverness, the finish venue of all three races. Runners, together with their families and friends, enjoyed the carnival atmosphere, with entertainment including pipes & drums, ceilidh bands, a bouncy castle, Baxters Soup and face painting for the children.