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The One O'Clock Run

1 January. Register from 11am, run starts at 1pm.

Assemble at Castle Esplanade and run to Holyrood Park.

All participants £8.

Plenty of cities see in the New Year with a hangover-busting fun-run, but Edinburgh trumps all rivals with two uniquely brilliant ideas. Firstly, the pun-tastic One O'Clock Run uses the castle's One O'Clock Gun as its starting pistol. And secondly, it strikes an appropriately laid-back note... through a course which runs entirely downhill.

One O'Clock Gun
The daily firing of the One O'Clock Gun is the starting pistol for the New Year race.
Don't get us wrong: anyone who's ever woken with a Hogmanay hangover will shudder at the thought of a run on New Year's Day. But dragging yourself to the start line really is the hardest bit. Once the gun goes bang, the thousand-strong pack jogs down the slope for a grand total of one mile, trundling along the High Street to end in Holyrood Park.

Of course, some folk do take it all a bit too seriously, and the front-runners' charge down the Edinburgh cobbles is a truly fearsome sight.  But it's not a race, you don't need to train, and unless you literally run backwards you'll make it to the finishing line. It's a great way to get the New Year off to a healthy, clear-headed start... and it's small wonder this gentlest of hangover cures is usually over-subscribed.

Entering the One O'Clock Run

To ensure safe passage through Edinburgh's cobbled streets, numbers are limited. The event does sell out, so don't leave it too late to get your name in

Entry costs a flat £8, regardless of the age of the competitor.  You can book online.

On New Year's Day, registration opens at the Castle at 11am and closes at 12:30 sharp. Exchange your ticket for an official T-shirt, listen to the briefing at 12:30 - and you're ready to go when the gun fires at one.
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