Run Balmoral 2025 – Saturday Highlights
Run Balmoral 2025 – Sunday Highlights
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Message from the Chair
After another very successful race weekend in 2025, I’m delighted to announce that entries for Run Balmoral 2026 (Saturday 4th & Sunday 5th April) is open.
Like any other major event, Run Balmoral could not happen without its sponsors. On behalf of Balmoral Road Races Ltd, I would like to thank McIntosh Plant Hire (1.5km Primary Schools Race), RAM Tubulars (2.5km Secondary Schools Race), Harbour Energy (5K), Stena Drilling (10K), the John Clark Motor Group (Devil of Deeside), Tidy Green Clean (Photo/Videography), Run4it (Retail) and VSA (Gold Charity Partner) for their continued support of our event.
I would also like to extend thanks and a very warm welcome to James & George Collie as the newest member of our Run Balmoral family of sponsors. The well-known local solicitors and estate agents will be supporting our 15-mile offroad challenge on Sunday, now to be known as the ‘James & George Collie 15 Mile Trail
Race’.
Next year’s event will signal the start of a new five-year series of specially designed medals. While the last series featured well-known landmarks in and around the Balmoral Estate, this new series will feature its wonderful wildlife. We will reveal which animal (or bird!) will be gracing our first medal later this year.
But a new series of medals isn’t the only change happening next spring. As part of our commitment to reducing our impact on the environment, our eco-friendly event t-shirts – featuring one design for our schools races and one for our main races – will be an optional extra, to be added at registration.
We look forward to welcoming you to the Balmoral Estate next Easter for another fantastic weekend of running for the whole family.
James Knowles
Chair, Balmoral Road Races Ltd, October 2025
Run Balmoral 2025 Annual Report
Run Balmoral 2025 was another great success with 4299 runners taking part out of an overall entry of 5126,
representing an 84% turnout, which is excellent. We were also treated to some wonderful individual performances with four course records being broken. Sean Chalmers enjoyed a double success with wins in the Harbour Energy 5k and the Stena Drilling 10k, while it was amazing to watch Millie Glass Park smashing her own record in the MPH Primary School Girls’ 1.5k, while Nathan Lawson set a new standard in the RAM Tubulars Secondary School Boys’ 2.5k. These are outstanding athletes, but we admire each and every one of the runners who participated in the series of races over the
weekend. They are all winners. Discover the full story of triumph and future aspirations in our comprehensive annual report (pdf 39.9MB).
Saturday Events
Stena Drilling 10K
The Stena Drilling 10K takes you through some beautiful Highland scenery on the Balmoral Estate and will be clearly marked and well marshalled.
Harbour Energy 5K
The Harbour Energy 5K all takes place on estate tarmac roads. The race begins heading west from the Castle adjacent the river Dee to a turn point at the Highland Pony Stud. There is a slight incline as the route returns to the castle via the “top road” which has magnificent views of Balmoral Castle and gardens.
MPH Primary Schools Run 1.5k
The race where some of our national and International runners started! The race is completely contained on tarmac roads in the estate and passes right in front of Balmoral Castle! Well marshalled and signed throughout with a lead cyclist and sweep runner. The race starts and finishes at the main finish gantry.
RAM Tubulars Secondary Schools 2.5k
Once past primary School age many of our runners graduate to the 2.5K event. The race is completely contained on tarmac roads in the estate and passes right in front of Balmoral Castle! Well marshalled and signed throughout with a lead cyclist and sweep runner. The race starts and finishes at the main finish gantry.
Sunday Events
James & George Collie 15 Mile Trail Race
An epic 15 miles of Highland scenery. There is something special about this event! You start in view of Balmoral Castle and run out west adjacent the magnificent river Dee before beginning a gradual climb through the Ballochbuie pine forest. Then at mile 8, you leave the river and begin a climb to the base of Lochnagar, an ascent of about 120 meters. The last 3 miles are a rush as you hurtle down towards the Castle once again; but beware..there is a sting in the tail!
Run Balmoral 6 Mile Trail Race
Get ready for a thrilling test of endurance! This two-lap course takes you along the stunning banks of the River Dee before sending you uphill on a tough 2-mile climb gaining 350 metres each lap. The reward? A fast, exhilarating mile-long descent back to the start. With a mix of tarmac, track and grass, this is the ultimate all-terrain challenge!
Weekend Challenges
John Clark Motor Group Devil of Deeside
Can you handle the John Clark Motor Group Devil O Deeside? To dance with the Devil you have to complete the Stena Drilling 10K, Harbour Energy 5K, James & George Collie 15 Mile Trail Race and the Run Balmoral 6 Mile Trail Race! There will be two categories of winner; male with the fastest overall cumulative time and female with the fastest cumulative time. That’s it!
Stena Drilling / Harbour Energy Corporate Team Challenge
Corporate Challenge Trophy The StenaDrilling – Harbour Energy Corporate Team Challenge is an exciting competition embodied within RunBalmoral. It provides a wonderful opportunity for you to get together with your work / colleagues to compete for the magnificent team trophy to be awarded to the RunBalmoral Corporate Team Challenge Champions.
Support Women’s Health Research at the University of Aberdeen
Friends of the Neonatal Unit is the official charity of Aberdeen Maternity Hospital’s Neonatal Unit for premature and sick babies.
The FOS Group has been formed by engineering experts Apollo and offshore construction specialists AquaTerra to give our clients in the North Sea a simpler, smarter alternative to delivering projects on and offshore for the oil and gas business.
🏃🏃ENTRIES TO RUN BALMORAL 2026 ARE NOW OPEN🏃🏃
What will your challenge be on Saturday 4th April and Sunday 5th April 2026?
🔥Harbour Energy 5K
🔥Stena Drilling 10K
🔥MPH Primary Schools 1.5K
🔥RAM Tubulars Secondary Schools 2.5K
🔥James & George Collie 15 Mile Trail Race
🔥 Run Balmoral 6 Mile Trail Race
... and of course the mighty John Clark Motor Group Devil of Deeside 😈!
🔗 www.runbalmoral.com
#visitabdn #balmoralestate #devilofdeeside #visitaberdeenshire #runbalmoral2026 #balmoralcastle
🙏 Thanks to all our fantastic sponsors who make Run Balmoral happen! Stena Drilling Harbour Energy RAM Tubulars McIntosh Plant Hire & Heavy Logistics Run4It James & George Collie LLP John Clark Motor Group ... See MoreSee Less
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Entries open tomorrow at www.runbalmoral.com for another amazing weekend of running on the Balmoral Castle Estate. 🎥 Stuart Ross Media Sponsored by Tidy Green Clean ... See MoreSee Less
Comment on Facebook
Delighted to be onboard again as a sponsor of Run Balmoral
Lynne Rennie
Rachel Gent finally!! 🤣
🏃🏼♀️🏃Entries to Run Balmoral 2026 (4th & 5th April) open Wednesday at 12 noon! 🔗 in bio and www.runbalmoral.com #runbalmoral2026 #devilofdeeside #balmoralcastle #balmoralestate 🎥 @stuartrossmedia sponsored by @tgcnortheast ... See MoreSee Less
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Christine AdamRachel Adam😅
🏃We're ready. Are you? Entries to Run Balmoral 2026 (Saturday 4th & Sunday 5th April) open tomorrow, Wednesday, 15 October at 12 noon!
📅 4 & 5 April 2026
🔗www.runbalmoral.com
#visitabdn #balmoralestate #visitaberdeenshire #balmoralcastle #runbalmoral2026 #devilofdeeside #activeschoolsaberdeenshire Stena Drilling Harbour Energy James & George Collie LLP RAM Tubulars McIntosh Plant Hire & Heavy Logistics John Clark Motor Group
👉Reel by Stuart Ross Media Sponsored by Tidy Green Clean ... See MoreSee Less
Comment on Facebook
📣 Thrilled to announce @jgcollie Solicitors and Estate Agents as the new sponsors of @runbalmoral’s epic Sunday off-road race. Entries to the James and George Collie 15 Mile Trail Race will open very soon! #runbalmoral2026 #jgcollie #trailrunningscotland ... See MoreSee Less
Comment on Facebook
📣📣 We are delighted to announce that James & George Collie LLP have joined Run Balmoral's family of race sponsors. 📣📣
The Aberdeen solicitors and estate agents will be supporting our incredible 15 Mile Trail Race for the next two years.
In addition to being an outstanding event in its own right, the James and George Collie 15 Mile Trail Race will be a key component of Run Balmoral’s famous John Clark Motor Group Devil of Deeside challenge: the completion of all four main races – including the Harbour Energy 5k, the Stena Drilling 10k and the 6 Mile Trail Race – over race weekend. 😈
👉Entries to Run Balmoral 2026 (4th & 5th April), including the James & George Collie 15 Mile Trail Race, will open very soon.
‼️Other opportunities to support Run Balmoral are still available. Please contact christine.appel@runbalmoral.com for more information.
#visitabdn #balmoralestate #runbalmoral2026 #balmoralcastle #visitaberdeenshire Balmoral Castle #devilofdeeside VisitAberdeenshire ... See MoreSee Less
Comment on Facebook
Check out our eco-friendly 2026 race t-shirts! There’s one for the schools’ races, one for the main races and one just for our Devils of Deeside! Add one to your order when entries open in the next few days. #devilofdeeside #runbalmoral2026 #balmoralestate ... See MoreSee Less
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Will there be a size guide as well as it saying S, M, L etc please?
So pleased to see the TShirts back.
Run Balmoral the Devil of Deeside logo should be the main theme of this shirt, not the sponsor's one which is way too big...
👕👕 PRESENTING THE 2026 RUN BALMORAL T-SHIRTS 👕👕
With entries to Run Balmoral 2026 opening in just a few days’ time, we’re excited to reveal our new t-shirt designs.
There’ll be one shirt for both our schools’ events – sporting the fantastic design by Harry Chalmers we revealed the other week – and one dynamic red and white ‘Run Balmoral’ design to celebrate all our other races and race sponsors.
In order to reduce waste and keep entry fees down, our eco-friendly technical t-shirts will be optional extras that can be ordered during the online registration process.
As we will only be producing what our runners order, please note the following important deadlines:
‼️T-shirts ordered ON OR BEFORE 15 January 2026 will be sent out with race packs to arrive BEFORE race day.
‼️ T-shirts ordered ON OR AFTER 16 January 2026 will be sent later and will arrive AFTER race day.
Schools’ shirts will cost £12 before the deadline and £14 after.
Main race shirts will cost £15 before the deadline and £17 after.
The cost of shirts for those who take on the Devil of Deeside challenge will be included in their event entry fees. All Devils will have their shirts on or before race weekend.😈
If you forget to order a shirt, or decide to order one at later stage, you can amend your original race entry — but please be aware of the deadlines noted above.
🙏Shirts will not be available for purchase or swap on the day, so please choose your size carefully.🙏
We hope you like the new designs as much as we do! 👉 Let us know in the comments!
#balmoralestate #visitABDN #runbalmoral2026 #runABCScotland
Stena Drilling Harbour Energy John Clark Motor Group McIntosh Plant Hire & Heavy Logistics RAM Tubulars James & George Collie LLP Balmoral Castle ... See MoreSee Less
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❤️ these. Guess I’ll b entering for another year😂
Beautiful! Would you consider offering the option of a vest rather than a T shirt?
Julia Wilkie - we'll need to sign up!!
Denise Wood smart we still doing this 👊
Run Balmoral the Devil of Deeside logo should be the main theme of this shirt, not the sponsor's one which is way too big...
Kim King Susan Naysmith they’re different!!!!
Rachel Gent
Callum Law
Gordon Ritchie
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