IT IS a measure of the growing stature of the Baxters Loch Ness Marathon that one of Scotland’s finest distance runners has been attracted to today’s event.

Simon Pride finished second

12 months ago in a race that starts at Fort Augustus and Foyers and finishes in the Queen’s Park stadium in Inverness, not that such short distances are part of the make-up of this dedicated competitor who was Scotland’s athlete of the year in 1999 after winning the world 100km title.

He returned to those mammoth races this spring when, after a five-year absence, he was third in the European 100km in Italy.

Today will be his second marathon in over a month. He is due to run another one in Dublin in three weeks’ time and at the start of next year, the qualification period begins for the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne. If he makes the start line, that is. “I have been in the habit of pulling out of the build-up to races,” he says. “I am not making the start line and I keep telling myself I am not running very well.”

Pride ran the marathon for Scotland at the Commonwealth Games of 2002 in Manchester where he finished 16th. But with

a personal best of 2 hours 16 minutes and 27 seconds, he is not sure if he will be quick enough to be able to run in Melbourne, by which time he will be 38. “My sister Sarah has emigrated to Australia and 2006 was in my plans, but I am starting to think that maybe it is beyond me,” he says.

“The standard is 2hr 17min for Scotland which I have to achieve between January and September of next year and I would be surprised if I made the grade this time.”

A Welshman by birth, Pride moved to Scotland in 1985 when he joined the army and, as a resident, he qualifies to run for his adopted country. As an ultra-distance racer he won the Speyside Way 50km trail race, then became world 100km champion before moving to the marathon, where the rewards would be more lucrative. Yet it is refreshing to hear him talk about the honour of representing his country. “When you start taking UK records and world titles it is a bit of a thrill for someone who is only a 2:16 marathon runner, because that will only get you so far,” he admits.

“I have British vests from the 100km and I take pride for running for GB. Ideally I would like to lower my UK record (6hr 24 min) before I get too old.

“Hopefully I will show some form. I am putting it down to my exertions in Italy. If I don’t feel happier after Loch Ness, I am not sure if there is any point going to Dublin.”

Pride works in the collections department of the Royal Mail and has to drive four hours a day to Aberdeen and back to the main sorting office. But still he finds time to run 80 to 90 miles a week and has been a supporter of the Loch Ness marathon since it was launched in 2002.

More than 1500 competitors from 29 countries will start today’s race, including last year’s winner, Tomas Abyu, of Ethiopia.