EALING Eagles runner Melissah Gibson was first female in the Baxters Loch Ness Marathon today (1).

She finished in 2:43:45. The men’s race was won by Moray Pryde, of Lothian Running Club, in 2:22:04

A total of 8,600 runners took part in the 21st Festival of Running, which also included a 10K, 5K and Corporate Challenge.

Of those, 55% came from outside Scotland and 12% from overseas locations as far afield as Australia, Brazil and China.

The event is also a key fund-raising opportunity for charities, including official charity Macmillan Cancer Support.

Early bird entry for the 2024 event on September 29 is now open at www.lochnessmarathon.com