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700 runners gearing up for St Andrews Chariots of Fire beach race this weekend

The event has become synonymous with St Andrews with runners dressing in white in tribute to the 1981 Oscar-winning movie.

Last year's Chariots of Fire beach race
An iconic view of St Andrews from the West Sands as runners compete in last year's event. Picture Steve MacDougall/DCThomson.

Around 700 runners will recreate the iconic opening scene from Chariots of Fire as they race along a St Andrews beach on Sunday.

The unmistakeable theme by Vangelis will blast out as athletes take on the annual 5k Chariots of Fire beach race on West Sands.

The St Andrews Chariots of Fire beach race
Action from the last Chariots of Fire Beach Race. Image: Rick Booth.

The annual event has become synonymous with St Andrews, with athletes dressed in white – and some of them barefoot – in tribute to the 1981 movie.

This year’s race is the second since Covid restrictions were lifted and is a sell-out.

And organiser Ben McLeod is excited to get going.

“We’ve got 700 adults running plus a children’s race so that’s close to 1,000 people in the beach, which is quite staggering,” he said.

“The weather is beautiful and it’s looking like a great weekend.”

Fudge doughnuts and beer

The race includes pipers at the halfway point and the promise of a fudge doughnut and a beer at the end.

And there is ice cream for youngsters taking part in the children’s one-mile fun run.

The start of the Oscar-winning Chariots of Fire was filmed on West Sands, with all of the actors wearing white.

It depicts athletes in training for the 1924 Paris Olympics.

Ben has been organising the race since 2011, when around 100 runners signed up.

He also starred as an extra when Danny Boyle remade the opening scene for the 2012 London Olympics, starring Rowan Atkinson.

Special event for 2024

Ben promises a very special event next year when the Olympics return to Paris on the centenary of the 1924 games.

He said: “We anticipate a lot of interest so watch this space.”

This year the children’s race starts at 11.30am with the 5k kicking off at noon.

All proceeds from the event go to the RNLI, Home Start and Families First.

The last two events have raised more than £20,000.

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