HMCS Fredericton crew runs Blue Nose Marathon in Scotland

More than 50 members of HMCS Fredericton took a break from their on board duties to run the Blue Nose Marathon in Glasgow, Scotland.

Runners painted their noses blue to participate in the 5K, 10K and half marathon last Saturday in Glasgow's Victoria Park.

"It was just a matter of getting everybody out because it just kind of worked with everyone's schedule to do it a little bit earlier," said Lt. Carolyn Pumphrey.

HMCS Toronto hosted a similar run two years ago in Bahrain and United Arab Emirates. The Scotland run marked the first time members of HMCS Fredericton took part in the marathon. 

"Personally, it was my first time running the Blue Nose as well," said Pumphrey. "Sometimes our jobs kind of keep us away during the spring months, so it was nice to have that opportunity to participate."

It also gave the crew a rare opportunity to connect with their home port in Halifax.

"It was a typical spring day over here in Scotland and it just kind of reminded us of back home. It started out a little grey, a little on the chilly side. But once we started running, the skies kind of opened up and the sun was shining down on us, so that was good," said Pumphrey.

The ship left Halifax on December 30, 2014 to deploy on Operation Reassurance, a mission supporting NATO in Central and Eastern Europe. Representatives from other ships were scheduled to join participants aboard HMCS Fredericton, but there was a conflict in schedules. They're planning to run at a later date, in a different port.

Pumphrey says the crew raised $1,230 in support of the Children's Wish Foundation. 

"Of course, we wish everyone luck in the upcoming Blue Nose event in Halifax," she said.