Students raise £1000 for PKCT with annual cross country run

Hardy students from Glenalmond College took to the frozen countryside last weekend as part of this year’s “Heartbreak Run.”

The annual 8 mile run across mixed terrain is seen as “right of passage” for some senior pupils at the school, and those taking part in the challenge also hit their fundraising target by raising a thousand pounds for Perth and Kinross Countryside Trust (PKCT).

This year’s Heartbreak Run saw more runners than ever take part, with nearly 70 participants, including Glenalmond graduate and Scottish short cross-country champion Harris Pagett, who set a new course record.

Heartbreak runners prepare to get underway (c) Urs Lendermann

Catharine Fleming, Head of Real World Learning at Glenalmond College said:

As a cross-country team, we are regularly running on trails in and around the Perthshire area. We really appreciate the open spaces we have access to and understand the importance of taking care of them. As such, we wanted to raise funds for PKCT, as a charity dedicated to maintaining them for public use.

We are delighted to have raised £1000 to support the work of PKCT so far.

In addition to fundraising, students from Glenalmond have joined team PKCT’s Discovery, Learning and Engagement Officer and the Council’s Countryside Rangers throughout the year to take part in a range of volunteering tasks to help care for the local environment and make the countryside more accessible.

Catherine Leatherland (PKCT) said:

We really appreciate the support we have received from the staff and pupils at Glenalmond College. They have been generous with their time and have really helped with a range of tasks from tackling invasive species to helping with path maintenance.

Taking on the Heartbreak Run is an impressive feat, and we would like to congratulate all the runners, and thank them for the generous donations we have received. This will help to contribute to our education, conservation, and access work in 2025.

Donations can still be made to PKCT through the Perth and Kinross Countryside Trust JustGiving page.