The day after the proposal Debbie Larnach and Steven Munro in Torrodon for the teeshirt ceremony where she and others received their Celtman Extreme Scottish Triathlon finishers teeshirts. Photo: Robert MacDonald/Northern Studios
A Thurso woman got the shock of her life as she crossed the finishing line in Saturday's Celtman extreme triathlon event – when her partner proposed!
Debbie Larnach finished the gruelling race – which involves a 3.4 kilometre swim in Loch Shieldaig, a 200km cycle and a marathon 42km off-road run – in 14 hours, 58 minutes and 22 seconds.
But her heart was racing even more after her partner of six years got down on one knee and popped the question.
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"It was a complete surprise – I never ever thought we would be married," she said.
But Steven Munro, a scaffolder at Dounreay, explained that he had been planning the proposal for some time. Debbie was going to take part in the Canadaman Extreme Triathlon in Canada last year and Steven had planned to pop the question there.
Thurso woman, Debbie Larnach was already emotional having just completed her first Celtman Extreme Scottish Triathlon, in Wester Ross at the weekend, but the emotions got even greater when her partner of six years, Steven Munro, got down on one knee at the finishing line and proposed to her. Debbie said, " It was a complete surprise I never ever though we would be married". But Steven, a scaffolder at Dounreay, had been planning the proposal for some time. Debbie was going to take part in the Canadaman Extreme Triathlon in Canada last year and Steven had planned to pop the question there. But his plans were thwarted when Debbie had to postpone her participation in that event. The couple have five children between them and Steven explained it had all worked out for the best, "If we had gone to Canada it would just have been the two of us, but this worked out better as the children could all be at the finish line at Torrodon and share in the moment." Photo: Robert MacDonald/Northern Studios
But his plans were thwarted when Debbie had to postpone her participation in that event. The couple have five children between them and Steven explained it had all worked out for the best.
"If we had gone to Canada it would just have been the two of us, but this worked out better as the children could all be at the finish line at Torridon and share in the moment," he said.
Debbie, a relief pupil support assistant at Thurso High School, was taking part in her first Celtman as well as her first full length extreme triathlon.
A look of absolute shock as Debbie Larnach realises that Steven Munro, her partner of six years, has just proposed to her on the finishing line of the Celtman Extreme Scottish Triathlon, in Wester Ross. Photo: Robert MacDonald
After the swim, competitors hop on their bikes for a hilly ride around Wester Ross, taking them through Kinlochewe, Gairloch, Dundonnell, Garve, Achnasheen and back to Kinlochewe, where they set off on the 42km run section, which is mainly off road on rough ground and tracks around Beinn Eighe and Glen Torridon, finishing at Torridon village hall.
There are usually two routes, with runners arriving before a certain cut-off time at a transition point usually being sent on the higher track while later runners take a lower route. However, this year, safety concerns due to forecast thunder and lightning meant the high route was closed after only a handful of the leading competitors had gone that way.
A happy Lorna Stanger, in Torrodon, a few yards from completing her 6th Celtman Extreme Scottish Marathon. Photograph: Robert MacDonald/Northern Studios
Fellow Thurso runner Lorna Stanger was also taking part in the event once again and she finished in a time of 16.42.51. Last year she qualified for a red t-shirt, marking the fact she had completed the event five times, making her only the second woman to have received the award.
She described her sixth Celtman as being a very tough and hot day.
For the second successive year, Ross Creber was the overall winner in 11.29.38. Twenty-two entrants retired out of a field of 259 from around the world.
Two Thurso women, Debbie Larnach, (left), and Lorna Stanger have completed the Celtman Extreme Scottish Triathlon held in Wester Ross. For Lorna it was the sixth time she has successfully completed the event, while Debbie was taking part for the first time. Held last Saturday, competitors in the extreme triathlon have to complete a 3.4 kilometer swim in Loch Shieldaig, then take to their bikes for a 200 kilometer ride from Shieldaig on a circular route thats take them through, Kinlochewe, Gairloch, Dundonnell, Garve, Achnasheen and back to Kinlochewe, where they set of on the 42 kilometer run section which is mainly off road on rough ground and tracks around Beinn Eighe and Glen Torridon, finishing at Torridon village hall. There are usually two routes, runners arriving before a certain cut off time at transition point T2a would usually be sent on the higher track while later runners would take a lower route. However this year, unlike the past two years, the weather was hot and calm, but thunder and lighting meant only a handful of the competitors made it to the higher route, before it had to close due to safety concerns. For Debbie, a relief pupil support assistant at Thurso High School, this was her first Celtman and also her first full lenght extreme triathlon. She finished in a time of 14 hours, 58 minutes and 22 seconds. Lorna came home in a time of 16:42:51. Last year she qualified for a red teeshirt marking the fact she had completed the event five times, making her only the second woman to have received the award. For the second successive year Ross Creber, from Scotland was the overall winner in 11.29.38. Twenty-two entrant had to retire from the race, which had a draft entry of 259 competitiors from around the world. Photo: Robert MacDonald/Northern Studios
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