Hundreds of runners pulled on their trainers yesterday as part of an annual charity race in an Aberdeenshire village.
The Lumphanan Detox 10k was set up 15 years ago to raise money to upgrade the community tennis courts with 70 participants.
Now it is a regular event on the region’s running calendar and hundreds take the opportunity to run off turkey and pudding eaten over Christmas and New Year.
The six mile course takes in the roads and farm tracks around Lumphanan and money raised from the event will go towards an as yet undecided project in the village.
Banchory’s Commonwealth Games bronze medal runner Robbie Simpson won the race which about 500 competitors signed up to, and set a new course record of 31 minutes and 10 seconds.
Organiser Graeme Anderson said for most of the entrants it was a fun way to burn off those excess festive calories and start the year on the right foot.
He said: “We’ve been on the go for 15 years now and we are getting a better class of runner.
“A lot of people just come every year to do it for fun.
“It is called the detox because we can shake off the excesses of Christmas and New Year and it is good start to the year.
“I ran it this year for the first time in a few years and I didn’t do too badly with a time of 46.58. I ran under 50 minutes so it was not bad for me.”
Mr Anderson said it was his last year as part of the Detox 10k’s organising group and said replacements have already been lined up.
He said: “We’re actually stepping down and there is a new committee taking over.
“We’ve done it for the last few years so this is our last one and there’s a new committee to take over for 2020.”
The Lumphanan Community Recreation Association will meet later this month to decide which cause the money raised will go to.