Local bakery saves the day at Scotland’s Half Marathon Championships

The Scottish Half Marathon Championships in Inverness, Scotland, faced a challenging situation when their race medals and T-shirts were delayed due to the recent militant attacks on container ships in the Red Sea. At the last minute, a local bakery came to the rescue, supplying the race with more than 4,000 finisher biscuits.

Sweet taste of success for @mhairimaac @InvHarriersAAC celebrating a record breaking performance today at #Invernesshalf.
Mhairi took the triple crown also taking the title of North District Champion 2024.@HarryGowBakery @scotathletics pic.twitter.com/iuxW09UnnC

— Inverness Half & 5K (@NessHalfMar) March 10, 2024

In a social media post on Feb. 27, the race said: “Due to unforeseen shipping delays resulting from Houthi rebel attacks on container ships in the Red Sea, we regret to inform you that finisher medals and half-marathon finisher T-shirts will not be available at the finish line on March 10.” The attacks in the Middle East had prompted major shipping companies to reroute their container ships around South Africa, delaying the shipment containing the race’s T-shirts and medals.

This year’s race boasted record numbers, selling out with a total of 4,240 participants across the half-marathon and 5K distances. With no finisher medals, and with the race facing the uncertainty of what to provide athletes, Harry Gow Bakery in Inverness stepped up to ensure every runner experienced the sweet taste of success upon crossing the finish line.

“We are thrilled to offer something unique to the Inverness Half Marathon and 5K this year with our commemorative biscuits,” said Fraser Gow, the director of Harry Gow Bakery. “The biscuits were specially crafted to reflect the medal design with the event logo.”

While race organizers expect the medals and T-shirts to reach each finisher by the end of March, many runners expressed satisfaction with the alternative. “It’s exactly what we needed after completing the race,” one participant wrote on Facebook. “It’s as satisfying as a traditional medal. Maybe next time we’ll have edible T-shirts,” another participant joked.

Several finishers also said they hoped to see the finishing biscuits return next year. Regardless, this initiative serves as excellent PR and marketing for the local bakery.