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Brothers reach next level in Deerstalker challenge





Family affair brothers Christopher and Colin took on the Mighty Deerstalker challenge along with their cousin, Graeme Macdonald (centre).
Family affair brothers Christopher and Colin took on the Mighty Deerstalker challenge along with their cousin, Graeme Macdonald (centre).

MORE than £400 was raised for charity by two Castletown brothers who competed in one of the country’s most gruelling night races.

Colin (22) and Christopher Stone (20) took part alongside their cousin, Graeme Macdonald (19), in the annual Mighty Deerstalker challenge in the Borders last Saturday.

The race is well known for its fancy dress and so the trio ran in the guise of the Nintendo characters Mario, Luigi and Yoshi.

The Mighty Deerstalker – named after the headwear which many of the 2000 participants wear – is held every March in the small town of Innerleithen.

The 10-mile race crosses several rivers, climbs almost 3000 feet and features several obstacles.

In a field of over 1600 runners, Colin finished the mammoth course in a respectable 2:06.47 (338th), Chris completed it in 2:11.18 (404th) while Graeme ended with a time of 2:40.55 (758th).

The Stone duo have previously completed the epic race dressed as comic book heroes Batman and the Joker, and also as a cow and a bear.

All three were raising money for Motor Neurone Disease Scotland and have so far raised £440.

Colin said: “It was my fifth year in a row running the Deerstalker but it doesn’t get any easier. The wind was causing a few problems and I’ve a giant bruise on my hip from slipping on a rock on my descent down the first hill!

“It’s my best time ever and I also got revenge on Chris for beating me last year. On top of raising over £400 for charity, I reckon that’s a job well done.”

This year’s challenge was Christopher’s third.

He said: “I didn’t think we could top last year’s run, but we did. The whole day was fantastic from start to finish and the amount of money we raised is fantastic.

“I’m already planning to increase my training for next year, though. Colin can’t beat me again.”

Last year, the two brothers raised more than £340 for the Cystic Fibrosis Trust, in memory of Dunnet man and Chris’s school friend Connor Craigie.

You can still sponsor the intrepid trio by visiting www.justgiving.com/MightyDeerstalkers2014

You can also watch how they got on at http://youtu.be/_QtsuTHV4rw


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