Men's marathong fun
Published 5 Nov 2009 06:05
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IT may have been a chilly evening, but there would have been plenty of people hot under the collar as 50 scantily clad men streaked through the village of Ormiston last Friday!
Hundreds of people lined Main Street at 10pm to cheer on the dozens of runners who pulled on nothing but skimpy underwear and trainers to take part in The Brave Mile 'marathong', in aid of Macmillan Cancer Support and to raise awareness of health issues for men.
And, after baring all, the runners - aged between 18 and 60 - were immortalised in their imaginative undies, from pink tutus to animal print thongs, by Ormiston-based photographer John McKenzie, to create a calendar that will be available to buy from the village's Hopetoun Arms Hotel in two weeks' time.
Organisers Alastair Hume and Ian Webb, co-owners of the Hopetoun Arms, came up with the idea for The Brave Mile after one too many drinks in the pub.
And now the pair are so overjoyed at the success of last week's streak that they are in talks with Macmillan to hold the fundraiser again next year as a national event.
Alastair told the Courier: "I can't believe how wonderfully the community of Ormiston responded to the event - everyone really got behind the idea and supported us.
"We really thought it would be an uphill struggle to get people involved but the response was incredible.
"Thankfully the weather was superb and it was a nice clear and mild night!"
And thanks to the support of family, friends and admirers, the runners have tripled their fundraising target to gather more than £11,000 in pledges for Macmillan, which provides support, comfort and practical help to people both living with, and affected by, cancer.
For all involved, The Brave Mile was as much about raising money as it was about raising awareness of the importance of men getting regular health checks so that serious illnesses can be discovered in time.
"Men with cancer frequently do not get diagnosed as quickly as they might and, as most people are aware, early diagnosis of cancer is crucial for effective treatment," said Mr Webb.
"All too frequently, men do not discover their cancers at an early stage.
"This is not because of lack of funding or a beleaguered health service, or even overstretched GPs.
"Often it is because they are simply embarrassed."
Donations are still flooding in and anyone interested in supporting the streakers can visit www.justgiving.com/bravemile to make a contribution.
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