Kirkcaldy pub set to sponsor Kirkcaldy running festival as staff take part in big race

Blythe Marshall and Reilly Campbell will enter this year’s Kirkcaldy Parks Running Festival sponsored by Insure Smart. The event will take place over the weekend of August 24-25 when runners will take to the streets and parks in a series of events, from trail races to half-marathons. They will be fundraising or three worthy causes - Maggie’s Fife, MacMillan Cancer Support and to fund for a community defibrillator in Kirkcaldy. You can support them at: www.gofundme.com/f/the-duchess-raise-funds-for-a-community-defibrillator

Blythe, manager of the Duchess, said: “Alistair Cameron, who has helped to organise the event, asked if we would sponsor it again. I said absolutely - we do a lot of things for the community, and it would be a pleasure to support it again. Our sponsorship came with two free entries for the race. Reilly and I had a chat about it and we decided we would run.”

The chosen charities are all close to the Duchess staff’s heart, and Blythe said there is a need for a defibrillator close by.

He explained: “We don’t have one this side of town that is close by. There’s one at Dunelm but it’s closed when we're open, and there is one at church, but it's really just to have another one about in case anyone has a heart attack. It's really just to keep the community safe”

Reilly’s chosen charity is MacMillan Cancer Support. He said: “My dad's been battling cancer for the past three years. It has caused a lot of grief for our family, which I would never wish upon anyone. I hope the funds raised can go towards supporting people and families who need it in their challenging times.”

Now the hard work begins for the pair, although Blythe said it’ll be a challenge having not been a runner since he was a child. However, he has also joined Kirkcaldy Wizards to prepare himself.

He said: “They're pointing me in the right direction, so, I'm feeling a bit more confident.”