Organisers of a traditional Boxing Day run in Scotland have declared this year’s results invalid after more than 50 participants broke the rules by wearing prohibited GPS timing devices.
The Nairn Turkey Trot has been thrown into disarray following an investigation that uncovered widespread cheating at the charity fundraiser.
The event, which saw approximately 280 runners take part in the Scottish Highlands, has happened every Boxing Day for the last 39 years.
Under the rules of the race, runners have to guess what time they will complete the course, with the winners being those who are closest to that after being recorded by official event equipment.
Personal timing devices are strictly forbidden under the competition rules, ensuring fairness for all participants who must rely solely on their own judgement.
However, an investigation by organisers found that more than 20 per cent of participants had uploaded their times to GPS websites.
Complaints received on Sunday morning first alerted organisers to the problem, prompting them to examine participant data more closely.
Now, Kevin Reid, chairman of Nairn Road Runners, expressed dismay that so many had chosen to flout the rules at an event where the top prize was merely a box of chocolates.
This year’s event has been mired in scandal
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He said: “It is not like the event is for big prizes, the winner gets a box of chocolates. I don’t see why athletes would feel the need to cheat.
“An awful lot of people used Strava and Garmin to record their runs. That basically null and voids anything to do with the times. At least 50 people were using timing devices at the race, we think around 25 per cent of those who took part in the event did so.
“It was brought to our attention on Sunday morning. We received a few complaints where people highlighted things.
“The terms and conditions of the race clearly state not to use GPS devices of any sort to record the times. It goes against the nature of what the event is.”
The event has taken place for almost four decades
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Organisers were left disappointed as this year’s run raised more than £1,200 for Highlands mental health and suicide prevention charity Mikeysline.
While the event will take place again next year to mark its 40th anniversary, they suggested the time-guessing element of the race will no longer feature.
Mr Reid added: “We highlighted to runners they were not supposed to use timing devices. Yet, people chose to do so.
“It may mean the event from now on will just be a fun run and no longer have predictive times. Potentially that is the way we have to go forward.”
Mr Reid stressed he was grateful for the donations, but said the race was meant to “just be for fun.”
He continued: “When you have around 300 runners, it is impossible to police them if they are not going to follow the rules. We can’t be watching everybody.
“We will run the event next year, but I don’t think we will bother with predictive times.
“The main thing is we raised money for Mikeysline and that is what we are taking from this year’s event. There are also collection buckets still to be counted.'”
It is not the first time a race has been plunged into scandal after allegations of cheating.
In 2023, ultra-marathon runner Joasia Zakrzewski was disqualified from the GB Ultras Manchester to Liverpool event after it was revealed taking a trophy for third place when it was found she “took vehicle transport during part of the route”
Dr Zakrzewski, from Dumfries, travelled by car for about 2.5 miles before continuing to complete the race. When she crossed the line she was handed a third place wooden trophy and posed for pictures.
She told the BBC: “I made a massive error accepting the trophy and should have handed it back. I was tired and jetlagged and felt sick.
“I hold my hands up, I should have handed them back and not had pictures done but I was feeling unwell and spaced out and not thinking clearly.”