HIGHLAND CROSS - the unique coast to coast midsummer charity duathlon

 

 

 

Team Member Information Booklet  - a link to the booklet is available here

 

Justgiving -  click here to set up a fundraising page for the 2025 event.

 

Sponsorship Form -  click here for a link to the form.

 

Sign Centre merchandise 2025 - click here to view leaflet.  Sign Centre are offering merchandise in black now also.

 

Newsletters

Newsletter and event updates on the 2025 event are available in the News Bulletin tab above.

 

How can I contact the organisers?
By e-mail info@highlandcross.co.uk or by telephone 07729 892 702.

 

By post to:

Highland Cross Organisers

Redwood

19 Culduthel Road

Inverness

IV2 4AA

How do I get a team entry to Highland Cross?

The TEAM ENTRY OWNER for each team from this year's event will be automatically added to the list to get an application link to apply for a team (these will be sent out on 7th January 2026) to be included IN THE BALLOT for 2026.

This is not a guarantee of a 2026 team place - the only applications guaranteed a place are the top fund-raising teams of 2025.

 

If any of the 2025 team wishes to change their TEAM ENTRY OWNER for 2026, we must receive notification of this from the existing 2025 TEAM ENTRY OWNER by 31st August, to include a name and email address.

If you were not part of this year's event and are interested in taking part in 2026, please email info@highlandcross.co.uk early on Monday 1st September 2025 to register a request for a team application link when they are issued on 7th January 2026.

 

What are the provisional dates for Highland Cross for future years?

Highland Cross is held on the Saturday which falls between 17th and 23rd June each year.  The dates for 2026 onwards are as follows:

  • 20th June 2026

  • 19th June 2027

  • 17th June 2028

What is the minimum age for entrants?

You must be 18 or over on the day of the event.   (No maximum age limit)


How much is it to enter?
£75 per person (£225 per team). 
 

When do entries open?

All registered team contacts will receive a link to apply for a team via email from SiEntries in the first week of January each year. For the 2026 event, the application links will be sent out on 7th January 2026.


When will I know if my team has been invited?

The deadline for completed applications is 31 January each year.  If oversubscribed, a ballot will take place in early February to determine team places and all team contacts will be notified as soon as possible thereafter to say whether successful and to make payment for their team, or unsuccessful in the ballot and choose to stay on the waiting list in case a teams pull out.

 

How do I pay for my team entry?

The £225 team entry donation only becomes payable when your team entry is confirmed.  All completed applications are placed on a pre-selection list until after any potential ballot is carried out in early February.  Once your team application is confirmed by email from SiEntries in early February, the team entry owner will be prompted to make the payment by "Accepting Invitation" before the deadline of 26th February.

 

Can team be a mix of runners and walkers?
Yes, it can be any combination of runners/walkers.

Can you change from runner to walker and vice versa?
Yes through your team entry owner from Monday 2nd March up until Monday 15th June - he/she can update electronically any changes through SiEntries My Entries/Memberships tab and go to "Edit" details.  Be sure to scroll all the way to the end of the page to SAVE changes.  Please intimate changes as early as possible to ensure organisers have the correct numbers of buses at each timing and location.   Any changes can be made on SiEntries up until Monday before the event and then thereafter by email to info@highlandcross.co.uk

Does a team of runners/walkers have to stick together on the route?
No, each member can go at their own pace and team position is based on the aggregate finishing positions. 
You are only entering as a team in respect of team prizes and the obligation to raise the minimum team sponsorship.

What happens if a team member pulls out before the race and no replacement can be found? Can the team still enter?
Yes, but teams should always consist of 3 members to qualify for prizes. No team will be disqualified for having 2 or even 1 member taking part at the last minute due to injuries etc. 

 

Substitutes
Substitutes will be accepted through SiEntries from Monday 2nd March up until the Monday before the event (15th June).   All substitutions must be done by the Team Entry Owner (the person who initially applied for the team) on SiEntries.  There is no fee for processing a substitute.  The organisers reserve the right to refuse any substitute application.  N
o substitutions will be accepted on the day of the event.

 

How to process a substitute on SiEntries

The team entry owner can process a substitution within the team from 2nd March 2026 until midnight on Monday 15th June 2026.  The quickest way to do this is for the team entry owner to ask the substitute to register with SiEntries whereupon they will be given an ID number.  (It may be that the substitute is already registered with SiEntries through taking part in other events they manage).  The entry owner should log into SiEntries, go to My Entries/Memberships and select Highland Cross 2026, click on "Edit Team" and then go the team member withdrawing from the event and click on "Substitute" beneath the withdrawing team member's name where they will be asked for the substitute's ID number and surname which will upload their personal details. Thereafter add their event preferences i.e. walk or run; bike and transport choices.    You must click "SAVE" at the bottom of the page to confirm any changes made to your team.  Even if the Entry Owner is being substituted out of the event, they are the only person who can make changes to the team's details and preferences, other than Elizabeth Christie at the admin office.  Email us: info@highlandcross.co.uk

 

If a team cannot find a substitute themselves, they can contact the organisers as they sometimes have names of people who would compete and who they could put in touch with the team.

 

What time do runners and walkers leave from Kintail?

Runners and joggers all leave at the main start at 11.00am from Kintail.  Walkers leave 2 hours earlier at 9.00am.


If I take a bag to the start of the event, can it be taken back to the finish in Beauly for me?
Yes, there is a “Bag Van” at the start and at the changeover points of the event so that competitors may leave their belongings to be transported back to Beauly for them. All bags should have a competitor number tag attached to identify them.
 

How much sponsor money do I need to raise?

Each team pledges to raise a minimum of £500, excluding gift aid, for nominated charities. Highland Cross is itself a charity and annually nominates principal beneficiary charities so all fundraising from the event is paid first to Highland Cross who then distribute it to the charities for their selected projects.  (See Charities section of website for current year’s nominated charities).

 

Can participants raise funds for their own chosen charities as opposed to the Highland Cross nominated charities?
Highland Cross does not permit participants to use the event to raise funds for causes other than those nominated by the Organisers nor does it allow participants to select which of the basket of charities that their fundraising will support.

The event is created and delivered by a totally voluntary group and much of the staffing comes from charities who have benefitted in the past or who are nominated to benefit from the current event. Even beneficiaries of "Small Grants" are asked to make their efforts available to deliver the event. It is only through this community of interest structure that the event can be delivered as cost effectively as it is. It would therefore be totally unfair if a charity that did not contribute to the creation and delivery of the event was to benefit from it.

 

Justgiving - the link for setting up a fundraising page for the 2025 event is:

https://www.justgiving.com/create-page?charityId=172882&eventId=9143558

All sponsor money donated through Justgiving is paid directly into the Highland Cross bank account and we have access to a complete breakdown of the amounts received by this method in order to ensure that all amounts are credited to team totals.  Competitors who raise their money through Justgiving do not need to send anything further to the organisers - the team contact will be notified in early September of the total amount raised by his/her team and asked to get in touch with the organisers should he/she disagree with this total.

 

Where do I send sponsor money?

Sponsor money should be banked (details below) or send cheque(s) to Highland Cross, Redwood, 19 Culduthel Road, Inverness, IV2 4AA, with competitor number on reverse of cheque (along with sponsor sheets if applicable, to enable gift aid to be claimed).

 

If you wish to pay by online banking, the sponsorship account details are:

  • Account name:  Highland Cross

  • Account no:  00439605

  • Sort code:  80-91-26

Please quote your surname and competitor number in the payment reference e.g.  SMITH  123
 

Where do I send my completed sponsor sheets?

Please send to Highland Cross Organisers, Redwood, 19 Culduthel Road, Inverness, IV2 4AA.  Please write your name and competitor number on the top of each sheet.

 

Lost Property
If a competitor forgets to collect any of their belongings after the event, please contact James Campbell, Beauly on 01463 783939 or 07599 722 420.