It’s 100 years since Scots runner Eric Liddell set a world record at the Paris Olympics.
And the devout Christian, who refused to run on a Sunday, will forever be associated with St Andrews thanks to the iconic opening scene of Oscar-winning Chariots of Fire, set on the West Sands.
Now a group of school pupils from the town are preparing to honour Liddell’s legacy by taking part in a gruelling challenge in his name.
Six youngsters from St Leonards School will run 680 miles from the French capital to St Andrews, culminating in a sprint along the beach used in the 1981 movie.
And they will be joined by pupils from Liddell’s old school Eltham College.
Organised to coincide with the Olympics’ return to Paris this summer, the aim is to raise as much cash as possible for local charities, all of which support young people.
The entire event has been organised by the school pupils themselves and they’ve already raised more than £15,000.
Eric Liddell tribute from Paris to St Andrews
The 17-year-old St Andrews students taking part are Sarah Lawrence, Paddy Pennycook. Tom Mifsud, Jill Reppenhagen, Maya Turton-Phelby and Kirsten Main.
They are part of the organising committee, led by fellow-pupils Maddie Fleetham, Grace Haldan, Noah Dollenger and Violet Harrus.
And their epic relay begins at the British Embassy in Paris.
It is close to the Scots Kirk, where Liddell famously declared he would not run on a Sunday.
From there, the group will run to Eltham in London, then through Cambridge, Hull, Edinburgh and on to St Andrews.
They will finish with the St Andrews Parkrun at Craigtoun Park on June 1.
And they hope to find enough energy to take part in the annual Chariots of Fire beach race on the West Sands the following day.
‘A fitting tribute to a remarkable legacy’
St Leonards School senior deputy head Dawn Pemberton said: “It’s been a massive project.
“It’s all pupil-led. They’ve prepared the route and got in touch with companies to sponsor them.
“They’re running 680 miles over the course of a week.
“And they’ll be sleeping in campervans and on the ferry, with a full support team by their side.
“The relay is a fitting tribute to a remarkable legacy and we’re all very proud of them.”
Who is Eric Liddell?
Eric Liddell was born in 1902 to Scottish missionary parents.
At the 1924 summer Olympics in Paris, he refused to run the heats for his favoured 100 metres because they were held on a Sunday.
Instead, he competed in and won the 400m, which took place on a weekday.
The following year, he moved to China to work as a missionary teacher.
And he stayed there until his death in a Japanese interment camp in 1945.
His Olympic training and racing, along with his religious convictions, are depicted in Chariots of Fire, with Liddell played by Scottish actor Ian Charleson.
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