SHETLAND, July 7 — Freija Colquhoun is nine years old and she was the leader of the one-mile route at the Wastside Smiles event. She comes from Skeld. Walking alongside her was Bertha Reid, a veteran participant who has been taking part since 2008.
The event offered three distinct route options for participants: one-mile, three-mile, and seven-mile tracks. For the three-mile route, the winners were ten-year-old Bobby Peterson and Monica Moncrieff.
The seven-mile route, which was described as challenging, was completed first by Norrie Lyall. These three distances gave people of different fitness levels a way to take part.
Rolling alongside the walkers
The event made clear that people did not have to walk to participate. Participants could walk, run, or roll. Wheelchair users Lou Jackson and Laurence Hunter completed the route as part of their training for the AJ Bell Great Scottish Run in Glasgow.
For them, the Wastside Smiles event served as a training ground for a larger competitive goal. Bertha Reid has been a participant since 2008.
Freija Colquhoun, at nine years old, led the one-mile route. The one-mile route they led together is the shortest of the three options. The seven-mile route was described as challenging.
Norrie Lyall completed it first. The presence of wheelchair users training for a major road race in Glasgow underscored that the Wastside Smiles event serves multiple purposes: community gathering, personal fitness, and athletic preparation.
A community that moves together
Bobby Peterson, age ten, and Monica Moncrieff won the three-mile route. The three-mile distance is long enough to require effort but accessible to many. What stands out about the Wastside Smiles event is the range of people it brought together.
A nine-year-old girl from Skeld. A veteran participant who has been participating since 2008.
Two wheelchair athletes training for the AJ Bell Great Scottish Run. A ten-year-old boy winning a three-mile route. These are named individuals with specific histories and goals.
The AJ Bell Great Scottish Run in Glasgow represents a significant athletic event. Lou Jackson and Laurence Hunter are using the Wastside Smiles routes as part of their preparation.
That preparation included completing the course alongside runners and walkers. For the community, events like this build continuity. Bertha Reid has been a participant since 2008.
The event organisers designed three distinct distances to accommodate everyone from first-timers to serious athletes. The result was a day where a nine-year-old and a veteran participant could lead the same route, where wheelchair users trained for a major city race, and where a ten-year-old could win a three-mile walk.
