There were 40 Freemasons, family members and friends from the Furness and South Lakeland Group who assisted with the marshalling of the 2025 Windermere Brathay Marathon. In a year when the marathon’s very existence was at one point seriously in doubt, The Great Run Company stepped in to make sure the fundraiser for the Brathay Trust went ahead. Changing the day of the race back to a Sunday and combining it with the Great North Swim across the preceding days, had steadied numbers to around 600 runners.
Supported by Furness and South Lakeland Group Chairman Chris Gray, vice chairman Harry Chatfield, group secretary Tony Jackson and organised by group charity steward Paul Ackred, the volunteers manned the route’s junctions, pinch-points and feeding stations to keep the runners fuelled appropriately against the conditions. 15 brethren met up at 07:00 hours, en route for a safety briefing and handout of information packs while others had already made their way to the start point even earlier.
After a few days of wet and stormy weather, warm sunshine was the rule in the early part of the event. Re-routing around the roads to the east of Esthwaite Water made for some lovely quiet vehicle-free running. The main task of the marshals is to maintain a safe gap between runners and all other road traffic on the course and especially at junctions and intersections. Road closure orders are used to increase safety along the narrower stretches. Radio communications from the well-practiced and highly competent Race Control kept everyone informed of the location of the runners on the road.
Paul Ackred, who organised the marshals and liaised with the Brathay Trust, was full of praise for his team and said that the marathon was moved from Saturday to Sunday to co-ordinate with the Great North Swim. It was a gloriously sunny and successful day and he thanked all those brethren and their families and friends who gave up their time to marshal the event. The Brathay Trust Fundraising Manager said that this key event brings in a huge amount of money, helping to fund all of the support and the activities that the trust provides. The Furness and South Lakeland Group was itself a beneficiary this year, to the tune of £525, which will be gratefully received and donated where appropriate.
Group chairman Chris Gray thanked Paul and his team for their time and support on this Sunday morning and Assistant Provincial Grand Master Peter Schofield expressed his gratitude for so many members of local lodges working visibly in a high-profile endeavour for the greater good, stating that it is truly heart-warming to see Freemasons actively supporting their community.
The Windermere Brathay Marathon is one of a small handful of marathons run entirely within a UNESCO World Heritage site. Often described as the friendliest and most beautiful UK marathon, this breath-taking course finishes amidst a carnival atmosphere in the grounds of Brathay Hall with stunning views over England’s largest lake.
The Brathay Trust works in several areas, offering courses in personal and professional development, notably with young people who are victims of circumstance; not victims themselves. They are supported at Brathay and go out into the community to become more self-aware and to find the potential and resilience they never knew they had.
Photography by Mike Cosgrove, Kevin Rigg, Andy Travis, Dennis Laird and Alan Tomlinson.