This year’s Highland Cross saw 735 competitors race on foot and cycle from Kintail to Beauly with only five failing to finish.
Organisers described the conditions as “warm and testing, very wet under foot”, but they were thrilled at the numbers and the money which was raised.
The participants started their exertions at Kintail and ran 20 miles before jumping on their bikes for the final 30 miles into Beauly.
Peter Fenwick was the first man to the finishing line with a time of 3.30.47, with Jill Stephen the leading woman at 4.00.51.
The overall winners of the men’s team award was Dr Forest Fire, and first overall ladies team Chaffin the Dream 1.
However, the event’s organiser and co-founder, Calum Munro, insisted the proceedings were about much more than winning.
He said: “£300,000 was raised for five Highland charities and the fantastic team spirit behind that is something quite unique.
“We had 200 volunteers, three mountain rescue teams, the British Red Cross, PDG helicopters and twenty charities all involved in making the day a success.
“We are still buzzing from the camaraderie, and we’ve been inundated with messages from participants praising and thanking the volunteers.
“On the ground in Beauly we had the shinty club, men’s clubs, the community council, and church ladies all helping us.
“The sense of pride and fulfilment is overwhelming.”
The cross is in its 37th year, with three generations now involved.
Mr Munro added: “One of our medical marshalls, Dr Mark Janssen retired. He first volunteered with the cross 36 years ago when he was a young houseman.
“We had boy scouts helping who are the grandchildren of the first boy scouts who helped at the very start.”
The charities chosen to benefit from this year’s event are Birchwood Highland, Cantraybridge College, New Start Highland, Puffin hydrotherapy pool and Snap.
Mr Munro said: “The charities throughout the years are so grateful for the donations they have received from Highland Cross because they would struggle to make enough to buy a minibus from coffee mornings, for example.
“Then they keep coming back year after year to help us support new charities.
“The generosity beggars description.”
Arrangements are already underway for next year’s Highland Cross, with 14 buses now safely booked for June 20, 2020.
Mr Munro said: “Complacency is doom. We always have a flow of ideas for improvement and making tweaks to the system.”
