Loch Ness Marathon runners encounter 'spooked' horses Published duration 26 September 2016

image copyright Tim Winterburn image caption The incident with the horses came during the Loch Ness Marathon and Festival of Running

Runners in Sunday's Loch Ness Marathon had a close encounter with two horses that ran on to the course.

No harm came to any of the runners or the two animals in the incident near Foyers, south of Inverness.

Runner Angie Brown, 40, said the horses appeared to be "spooked" and charged towards her "at full gallop" before they turned away at the last moment.

The event's organisers said police assisted in the safe recovery of the horses.

About 2,460 people finished the marathon, which formed part of the weekend's annual Baxters Loch Ness Marathon and Festival of Running.

'I shouted'

Ms Brown, a BBC Scotland journalist from Edinburgh, was three miles from Foyers when she spotted the horses.

She said: "Suddenly two horses were charging towards me at full gallop. They were two abreast and racing each other.

"They were spooked by the runners so were neighing and flaring their nostrils and were in quite a state.

"They were charging up the drive of a house I was running past and I didn't know what to do so I got into the ditch and waited for them to hit me. I was terrified.

"At the last second however before they reached me they swerved and started galloping down the road straight at the other runners who were running in the same direction so couldn't see the horses coming behind them.

"I shouted at the top of my voice to warn people and then the horses were lost to sight."

It is believed that the horses reached Foyers before being stopped.

A spokesman for the marathon said: "We can confirm that two horses were on the marathon course for a short time and that police, who were nearby, assisted in their safe recovery.