Following his recent 200m win, Kelso’s Dave McKay is getting ready to compete in CERF 2017. Read more about Dave here

Thanks to the Edinburgh Evening News for their coverage of Nigel Jones sponsoring the open 800m at CERF for the third year. You can read the article here

You can read the latest article on CERF here

An Edinburgh business woman with a passion for empowering females, has announced her sponsorship of the City of Edinburgh Running Festival’s (CERF) female-only race.

Sarah Gilchrist, owner of Bruntsfield boutique, C’est Si Bon, has decided to sponsor the Ladies 110m race, which has been designed to encourage more female athletes to compete.

Sarah herself has always been sporty but only in recent years undertook her first marathon in Paris.

When Sarah discovered there was a race which was specifically tailored towards encouraged females to get involved, she knew she wanted to be involved.

CERF was the first Scottish running event to feature a Ladies Invitation race which Graeme Armstrong, chairman of CERF, introduced after seeing the race in Australia. This type of race is now being expanded by Border Athletics with a stand-alone race specifically for female sprinters now an annual event.

Sarah said:

“Some people get big thrills out of helping women get active and fit, and in the same capacity, I love getting women to try on new clothes and feel amazing. When I heard about the CERF female-only race, I knew I wanted to get involved, and decided to sponsor the race.

“I think staying active is extremely important for everyone but as a female who has experienced running on a competitive level, I know how important it is to be encouraged and supported in a professional way. I can’t wait for CERF this year and will be at the end cheering all the woman on.”

Graeme Armstrong, chairman of CERF, added:

“We’ve been aware for a long time that the numbers of females in competitive racing is still not as high as males. Following a trip out to Australia, I decided to introduce a female-only race to CERF in the hope more females would join.

“We are already starting to see clubs such as Borders Athletics do the same as we all actively try and encourage females to keep sprinting and level the playing field with their male peers.

“The numbers have been increasing, I’d say about 25% over the past ten years in terms of racing in Scotland, but the number still has a long way to go. Hopefully this race is the start of something special and we can keep encouraging women to take up athletics and running on both a professional and personal level.”

Running: It’s not just your physical health that can benefit

We have known for decades that running comes with lots of health benefits. From improving your circulation and strengthening muscles, to increasing lung capacity and burning fat, running has always been a great tool to improve your physical health. But what about the health of your mind?

Recently, I’ve been seeing some fantastic campaigns such as Heads Together, which has been supported by The Duke of Cambridge, The Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Henry of Wales, has been working to end the stigma behind mental health. It has had a particular focus on physical activity helping many people overcome the challenges they are facing mentally.

We all seem to understand the idea that getting active is good for you physically, but increasingly people are talking about the benefits to our mental health. And it doesn’t always have to be on a competitive level. Dusting off your trainers and going for a jog can be just what you need to get out the house, enjoy some fresh air and clear your head. Understandably, a lot of people find even that part, the motivation to actually get up and go quite tough, but this is where joining a running club or rallying your friends and family can help. Some people say they have never had a bad run in their lives, meaning, even managing to go around the block is an achievement in itself and helps give your head the space we all sometimes need.

For me personally, running blows the cobwebs away and helps me see more clearly. It gives me a chance to forget about worries or work, or whatever is on my mind that day, and focus on relaxing and enjoying being active and outside.

As the chairman of The City of Edinburgh Running Festival (CERF), I have come across many runners who feel the same. We started CERF as a running festival with the aim to get the whole community together and create an event that would push and praise our athletes. It gives runners a chance to compete and have friends, family or even neighbours lend their support. Setting yourself goals gives you confidence, challenges you mentally and arguably, can prevent future mental health issues.

If you already do running as a hobby, no matter your age, I’d recommend joining a club or entering a competition as the positives are endless.

Hopefully we see more people shining a light on the mental health benefits of exercise and end the stigma of mental health once and for all.

It would be great to see more campaigns, like Heads Together, spreading the word about balance and the partnership between a healthy body and a healthy mind. If you are able to move, please do. It’s not just your body that will thank you for it. I can’t wait to see you all at this year’s CERF and hopefully welcome both old and new faces to the sport.

Graeme Armstrong.

The City of Edinburgh Running Festival (CERF) is back for its fifth year as online entries officially open, in what is Scotland’s foremost family running event.

Taking place on 23 June at Meggetland in Edinburgh, the festival uses a unique handicapping system which gives each competitor an equal chance of winning, no matter their age or ability.

Online entries for the competition are now live and include the 800 metre race, the UK’s most lucrative race with a £1,000 prize for 1^st place, and categories for both adults and youths.

OrthoLink, a medical device company based in Edinburgh, is also sponsoring the 110m sprint race, offering £3,000 for 1^st place, one of the largest prize money totals on the pro-running circuit.

CERF adds to a calendar of professional running dating back almost 200 years including Jedburgh Games and The New Year Sprint. CERF however offers some of the highest prize money available in the UK.

CERF Chairman, Graeme Armstrong said:

“We are thrilled to be back for our fifth year. The City of Edinburgh Running Festival is a great opportunity for the whole family to get involved as we have races for all levels and distances.

“The 800m is the most lucrative of its kind in the UK and we anticipate an exciting race. Spectators always get behind the runners and cheer them on so it’s a wonderful atmosphere to be part of.

“Entries are now open so hopefully we see even more diverse competition this year and look forward to welcoming families, friends and all other fans of the sport along to the track in June.”

Male and female athletes compete in youth, junior and open categories and, with over 20 events scheduled to take place over the evening, showcasing the finest of Scotland’s athletic ability.

The competition programme on the night includes heats, semi-finals and the final, with prize money awarded to the finalists in each event.

Competitors wishing to take part in the 2017 CERF have until 11 June to register at www.entrycentral.com

Date of the 2017 City of Edinburgh Running Festival is Friday 23rd June so make sure to make a note in your calendar. We look forward to welcoming you!

Regardless of what sport you play every sportsperson will want to avoid any type of injury which could hamper your season. Funnily enough runners aren’t an exception to this! So what can you do to help prevent damaging injuries?

Stretching

Dynamic stretching is an essential practice to do before and after training. These stretches help to warm your muscles, increase circulation and prepare the muscles to be ready for your race. It’s really key to warm up, with particular focus on the muscles that you’ll be using in your race. Runner’s World suggest these three steps –

Walk before you run – Walking or jogging helps to ease the transition from static to running.

Point massage – If there are any areas causing you issues then you should lightly massage the muscle area to relieve tension.

Be dynamic – You need to warm up the extension of your legs through exercises. Here are some exercises to take into account when stretching.

Pilates and Yoga

A lot of athletes these days are using Pilates and yoga as a means of strengthening muscles and preventing injury. Benefits of Pilates and yoga include:

•        Increased muscle strength and tone
•        Improved posture
•        Enhanced muscular control
•        Stress management and relaxation

Pilates and Yoga also aid rehabilitation and they help improve your balance and strengthen those muscles that you might have damaged previously.

Further help

Sometimes injuries are impossible to prevent and it’s essential that you rehabilitate the correct way. It’s important to support any strains or sprains to ensure further damage is prevented. Our headline sponsor OrthoLink has a line of injury management sports braces and supports (medical grade) which help treat joint instability, tendonitis, sprains and strains. Check out their online Amazon store for details.