A Fife firefighter was smokin’ hot as he fired first past the finish line of the annual Scottish Coal Carrying Championships in Kelty.
It was no baptism of fire for debutant Grant Cotter, stationed at Dunfermline, who took the victory in four minutes 50 seconds.
He led the 40-strong field across the line after 1,000 exhausting uphill metres with a 50kg sack of coal on his back.
”This is my first race my friend said I should consider it, but this is the first year I’ve actually taken part,” said the 39-year-old, who runs four or five times a week minus the load from the race set up 18 years ago to celebrate Kelty’s mining heritage.
The men’s event was wide open this year as no previous champions entered.
The legendary John and Willie Hargreaves opted out this year while past champ John Hunter, from Scarborough, was taking part in an Iron Man on the same day.
Organiser Michael Boyle said it would have completed the circle had the second-placed Jim McIntyre from Kirkcaldy won.
He said: ”We would have completed our heritage links as he’s a coalman it is fantastic we had a coalman take part.”
There was no mistaking the winner in the ladies’ event run over the same torturous course but with a 25kg bag of coal as Hazel Porter of Dunfermline once again reigned supreme in the torrential rain.
It was her eighth race and her eighth victory, in a time of five minutes 10 seconds.
Hazel said: ”Every time I’ve entered I’ve won the only two times I’ve not entered has been when I’ve been expecting and both my children, who are two and four, were born in July so you can see why I didn’t take part then!”
The 32-year-old said it wasn’t victory which spurred her on year after year, but the love of the event.
”I’d keep doing it, even if I was beaten. I’d still be running it because I love it, simple as that.
”Kelty is a fantastic place and you look up and see the huge crowds all the way along the street, all cheering you on.”Click here for a full photo gallery