Castle Douglas Development Forum holds cyclocross family festival

Castle Douglas Development Forum held a free cyclocross family festival at Lochside Park on Sunday.

The day was well attended and thoroughly enjoyed by everyone who took part.

Development forum chairperson, Carolyn Yates, said: “This is our first event based at what was the outdoor centre and is now becoming a community asset, the Crannog Campus. We want to make it an environmentally friendly place for inclusive family activities and this is just the start.

“Last November we hosted round six of the Scottish Cyclocross series. We noticed that most entries came from outside the town so the idea was to give local kids and families a taste of this welcoming and inclusive sport.

“It’s fun and also provides a gateway into cycle racing for those youngsters who want to take things further. Learning cyclocross skills also make sure you can really handle your bike.”

The event was funded by the council through its Summer of Cycling celebrations, which marked the UCI Cycling World Championships’ coming to the region.

A surprise special guest at the cyclocross was Lewis Martin from Castle Douglas, fresh from winning the Scottish National Mountain Biking Cross Country Championships. He took part in the family relay and final race, providing inspiration for participants and a thrilling display of talent.

John Whittaker from Silent Running Scotland, which managed the Tour Series when it came to the town in 2021, ran the races over a course he designed with plenty of twists, turns and steep banks. The final race even included hurdles made out of cardboard boxes.

The day started with the children’s race, youngsters aged five to 14 lapping the course as fast as they could for 20 minutes.

Next up was the family relay