Inverness, Scotland 28 Sept 2025
Source: https://www.lochnessmarathon.com/ and https://www.instagram.com/lochnessmarathon/
The Baxters Loch Ness Marathon & Festival of Running is a relatively recent addition to the world running calendar, but has quickly grown into a major event.
- Inception: The Loch Ness Marathon began in 2002.
- Expansion: Following the success of the first marathon, the organisers were keen to offer a full weekend of races and festivities, leading to the creation of the Festival of Running which includes the marathon, the River Ness 10K, the River Ness 5K, the 10K Corporate Challenge, and the Wee Nessie fun run for children.
- Title Sponsor: The event has been sponsored by Baxters Food Group as the title sponsor since its very beginning in 2002.
- The Route: The marathon is famed for its spectacular and scenic point-to-point route, which starts in a moorland setting and follows the south-eastern side of the world-famous Loch Ness before finishing in the Highland capital, Inverness.
- Growth: In the years since its launch, the event has attracted thousands of participants from numerous countries, becoming a bucket-list marathon for many runners worldwide. The full Festival of Running typically sees over 8,000 participants across all events.
- Charity Focus: The event is also a significant fundraiser, having raised millions of pounds for various charities over its history, with Macmillan Cancer Support often serving as a lead partner charity.
