On Sunday 6 September, 400 runners set off on the Glencoe Marathon Gathering. The full marathon started at Lochaber Leisure Centre in Fort William and the half marathon in Kinlochleven. Both routes crossed the Devil’s Staircase before finishing at Glencoe Mountain Resort, with more than 1,600 m of climbing on the full route.
BID Fort William supported the event with a £2,000 events grant. Here’s what that investment delivered for the town and for our levy payers.
The investment
Our £2,000 paid for Open Tracking, a new live tracking platform. Much of the course crosses remote mountain terrain with poor mobile signal, so live positions let the safety team spot any runner who had stopped or left the route and send help quickly. The organisers had a live view of the whole field, making it easier to manage cut-offs, sweep teams, aid stations and shuttle buses.
It also worked for businesses. Supporters can’t follow runners over the Devil’s Staircase, so instead they tracked them on their phones from Fort William cafés, bars and shops and timed their trip to the finish. That kept them, and their spending, in the town centre for longer.
The return
Runners stayed at businesses including the Ben Nevis Inn, The Cruachan Hotel, Nevis Bank Inn, The Garrison, No.1 Caberfeidh and Glen Nevis Campsite, with more in Banavie and Caol.
These figures are estimates, based on a survey completed by 9% of runners, and the spending figure covers Fort William and Lochaber as a whole, so we treat them as indicative. Even at the lower end, the event brought more than £50 of local spending for every £1 of BID funding. Our grant made the live tracking possible, and the organisers say our support helps keep the event viable. Of the runners who responded, 80% said they’re likely to come back to Fort William within two years.
Putting Fort William in front of the world
Open Tracking was used by 2,056 people in 32 countries, from the Netherlands and the USA to Australia, Japan and Nepal. They spent a combined 455 hours following the race. Between 1 and 10 September, the event’s Instagram content was viewed more than 200,000 times by over 28,000 people, around 130 times its usual views.
Community benefit
Local volunteers, including Spean Bridge Scouts and Lochaber Women’s Aid, helped on the day, and the event promoted Lochaber Women’s Aid to thousands of runners and followers. Local businesses including Shiel Buses, the Nevis Centre, Highland Soap Co. and Electric Village Beer were involved, and runners raised at least £11,600 for charity.
Local runners made their mark too. Lochaber AC took three podium places: Ryan Mackay won the half marathon, Barna Tot was second in the half, and Denis Prikulis was second in the full marathon.
In their words
Runners rated the event 9.4 out of 10, and several returning runners called the live tracking a clear improvement, especially for sharing with family.
“BID Fort William’s support made the 2026 event safer, more visible and better connected to the town than ever before, and we are very grateful.”
Seana Forbes, Glencoe Marathon Gathering / WildFox Events
Looking ahead
The tracking platform is a lasting legacy that the organisers can build on every year. For 2027, they’re aiming for at least 800 runners, more local partnerships and a date that doesn’t clash with other local events.
Have an event idea?
Our Events Support Grant can cover up to 50% of eligible costs for events that bring people into the town centre.
👉 Find the guidelines and application form at https://bidfortwilliam.co.uk/business-grants/
