While the Linda Norgrove Foundation 10K took place in Uig, the community was showing its support for a second good cause in Lewis yesterday (Saturday). Runners, joggers and walkers of all ages and abilities took part in the Tong 5K.

The event raised just under £1,000 for the local Macmillan group.

Conditions during the event were mixed, starting off with showers of rain, but participants were able to enjoy some dry weather along the route. 

Starting from Tong Community Hall, the groups of participants went around Aird Tong, passing Milking Hill and heading back towards the main road connecting Tong with Upper Coll, where everyone then made their way back towards the hall.

The total raised from the event so far was £968, with a lot of donations being made through the online sign-ups – which organisers noted always bump up overnight just before the run.

The weather held up while people made their way along the route, but the wind was stronger during the final kilometre of the challenge.

Some participants were awarded medals at the end but, due to the unexpectedly high turnout, the organisers ended up running out of medals.

People registering for the event grew “even overnight”, as committee member Angela Mackay said. “That’s often the case with our runs though, and the weather as well, the weather held out.”

Committee member Amy MacIver said: “To be honest, we’re very lucky because everyone really supports all our events.”

It was a relaxed race, with a timing clock for participants to eye their time at the finish line, but no official record of when everyone returned back to the hall. A soup and pudding was held in the hall afterwards, another fundraiser for Young Lives vs Cancer.

Now, the committee are going from “one extreme to the other” as they look forward to the next planned event in their calendar, Boozy Bingo. The popular bingo is one of their sell-out events, and this year is no different as the committee shared it had “sold out within half an hour”.