Ardbeg Half Marathon: In pictures

It was a weekend of four seasons as rain, wind and sunshine ravaged the Ardbeg team of drinks writers, retailers and brand managers during the Ardbeg Half Marathon on Islay.

The Ardbeg Half Marathon was run by 165 runners… and a wheelbarrow

But with it all being for a good cause – namely to raise money for the National Brain Appeal in memory of Alan Lodge – the blisters, chafing, slipped discs and shin splints couldn’t dampen the spirits of the team.

All 20-something members finished the race in respectable times, or at least didn’t come last, thanks in part to the tremendous support from Ardbeg’s Serena Kaye and The Spirits Business‘ Becky Paskin – who dropped out of the race due to injury – but mostly the achievement was down to the team’s unflappable efforts and months of training.

Spurring them on was the knowledge that they had raised over £5,000 in sponsorship from the big-hearted drinks community, friends and family. We’re sure Alan would have been proud, but mostly amused at the sight of his alcoholic and relatively unfit colleagues plodding around Islay, home of his beloved favourite whisky, Ardbeg.

Take a look through the following pages for a glimpse of what the race was like for the team.

Sian Deegan and Rachel Ramanathan finish the race in a respectable time… although they did have a 45-minute head start.

The Cocktail Lovers‘ Sandrae Lawrence keeps her spirits up as she nears the 10-mile mark

The team of runners gather for a non-sweaty photo before the starting gun

Richard Siddle (Harper’s Wine & Spirit) doesn’t let his bad back or the fact he’s in second-from-last position put him off his pace

It’s all smiles now, but half an hour later it was a story of pain, anguish and bleeding nipples

We’re sure you’re supposed to eat those Hamish Smith (Drinks International)

Sian and Rachel from Ardbeg with their pointless wheelbarrow of peat. Remarkably it never fell over.

Marcin Miller of Quercus Communications attempts to emulate his hero Mo Farah, and in doing so missed out on the Jelly Babies offered by support crew Serena Kaye (Ardbeg) and Becky Paskin (The Spirits Business)

The team join Richard Siddle (Harper’s) for moral support as he takes in the final yards of the 13.1-mile race

We’re sure the runners couldn’t have survived without the cheers, whoops and Jelly Babies provided by Becky Paskin (The Spirits Business) and Serena Kaye (Ardbeg)

“Look at our lovely medals”

A well-deserved dram at the end of a tough morning, sat on Islay’s serene coastline outside the Ardbeg distillery