From a Seven-Month-Old to a Veteran Participant
The youngest participant in this year’s event, seven-month-old Jack Couper, had the honour of starting the proceedings with assistance from his mother Kristen. Jack’s role symbolised the intergenerational appeal of a day designed for the whole community. Sharing the starting line with him was a nine-year-old and a veteran who has participated in every Wastside Smiles event since 2008. Nine-year-old Freija Colquhoun from Skeld led the one-mile route alongside Bertha Reid, whose unbroken record of participation since 2008 places her among a small core of volunteers and runners who have watched Wastside Smiles evolve from a modest gathering into a fixture that now draws participants from across the islands. The mix of distances—one mile, three miles, seven miles—ensured that a seven-month-old and a nine-year-old could share the same starting line as athletes training for a city half-marathon. For the three-mile route, ten-year-old Bobby Peterson and Monica Moncrieff finished first. For the seven-mile route, Norrie Lyall finished first. The event drew participants ranging from toddlers to veteran supporters, reflecting the quiet achievement of Wastside Smiles: it accommodates the serious runner and the family with a pushchair, the veteran of 18 events and the first-timer, all on the same stretch of Shetland road.
Inclusive Design and Training for a Premier Scottish Run
Inclusive by design, the event saw Lou Jackson and Laurence Hunter, both returning participants, complete the route in their wheelchairs. For Jackson and Hunter, the wheelchair route represents a step toward a larger goal. The pair are using the event as part of their training for the AJ Bell Great Scottish Run in Glasgow, one of Scotland’s premier road-running events. Training at Wastside Smiles provides a measured, supportive environment to build endurance. The event has grown quietly over nearly two decades, drawing families, returning runners, and first-time participants alike. Bertha Reid’s unbroken record of participation since 2008 places her among a small core of volunteers and runners who have watched Wastside Smiles evolve from a modest gathering into a fixture. The three distances—one mile, three miles, seven miles—mean that a seven-month-old and a nine-year-old can share the same starting line as athletes training for a city half-marathon. For Jackson and Hunter, the wheelchair route is a step toward a larger goal, and the AJ Bell Great Scottish Run is one of Scotland’s premier road-running events. Training at Wastside Smiles provides a measured, supportive environment to build endurance.
Community Spirit in an Era of Change
Community spirit has long been understood as the willingness of people to take part in activities that strengthen their shared local bonds. The idea traces back to the broader concept of community itself—a group united by place, culture, or common goals—and the voluntary efforts that sustain it. It is the collective goodwill expressed through local events, mutual support, and shared endeavors that define this spirit. Such gatherings, whether formal or spontaneous, reinforce social ties and create a sense of belonging that extends beyond individual interests. Events like local fairs, charity runs, or neighborhood clean-ups embody this principle by bringing people together for a common purpose. The significance today lies in how these acts of participation foster connection in an era when many traditional social structures have shifted, offering a tangible way for people to contribute to and feel part of something larger than themselves. Wastside Smiles exemplifies this principle: what began as a local initiative has, without fanfare, become a date that families mark on their calendars. The mix of distances—one mile, three miles, seven miles—means that a seven-month-old and a nine-year-old can share the same starting line as athletes training for a city half-marathon. That, in the end, may be the quiet achievement of Wastside Smiles: it accommodates the serious runner and the family with a pushchair, the veteran of 18 events and the first-timer, all on the same stretch of Shetland road.
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