SCOTTISH runner Jasmin Paris recently made history by becoming the first woman to finish one of the world's hardest ultramarathons - and she now has her sights on the Scottish Islands Peaks Race.
Paris, from Midlothian, completed the Barkley Marathons in Tennessee with just one minute 39 seconds to spare of the 60-hour cut off.
She now intends to head to the west of Scotland to compete in the annual Scottish event – what was is it?
What is the Scottish Islands Peaks Race?
The race – first established in 1984 – is for teams of hill runners and sailors over a long weekend around the west coast of Scotland.
The sailing course is 160 nautical miles and includes the tides and overfalls of the Corryvreckan and the Mull of Kintyre. Runners travel 60 miles and compete in 11,500 ft of climbing.
The challenging race means competitors must be experience and well prepared with survival gear specified for the terrain.
The teams' yachts must be fitted with safety equipment including flares, VHF radios and engines – but only for emergency use and when the runners are off the boat.
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The event's official website states that teams consists of five people – usually two runners and three sailors.
Teams – senior, all-rounders, inter-service, and youth – return "year after year" for "memorable scenes".
"Perhaps part of its charm is that every year brings its own memorable scenes whether it is getting ahead of your nearest rival by means of a ‘cunning plan’, racing neck and neck with another team under spinnaker, gliding quietly through the water as dawn breaks or encountering whales and dolphins," the website says.
"The mountains offer a wide variety of challenging terrain and the sailing is equally varied so that coupled with unrivalled views of mountains and sea so that each year brings a totally unique team experience for everyone."
What is the route?
The sailing route is the same for all classes but the running route varies for the adult and youth competitions.
Team must start in Oban with a hill run, then a sail to Salen in Mull, a run over Ben More, before heading to Jura to run the Paps, then to Arran to run Goat Fell and finishing at Troon.
When is the Scottish Islands Peaks Race?
The race will be held on May 17, 2024 and normally takes three to four days.
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