Adam wins trophy named in honour of Canavan brother Paul

Adam Canavan and dad Dennis at the end of the Strathcarron 10k - Adam won the Paul Canavan Cup which was named in honour of his brother, who died at Strathcarron Hospice aged just 16

Adam Canavan (16) clocked a time of 48 minutes and 20 seconds as the first runner aged 16 or under to finish this year’s Strathcarron Hospice 10K and, like every winning runner in that age category for the last 29 years, he was awarded the Paul Canavan trophy.

It was named as a tribute to his brother – a promising athlete himself – who died aged just 16 in 1989 after losing his fight with skin cancer, spending his final weeks in Strathcarron Hospice.

Adam’s dad, former MP and MSP Dennis Canavan, who was a keen runner in his younger years, said: “Would you believe it? Adam, won the cup. For me, it was an unforgettable and very emotional experience and I felt Adam’s three brothers and his sister were all cheering him on.

“I donated the Paul Canavan Memorial Cup in memory of Paul and attend the event every year. I’m usually asked to present the prizes, but it was extra special to be able to present the trophy to Adam.”

Mr Canavan, who quit politics in 2007 to spend more time with his family, has suffered his share of tragedies in the past – Paul died in 1989, while other sons Dennis (35) died of a brain tumour in 2006 and Mark (41) died the following year after a long fight with motor neurone disease and last year he also lost his daughter Ruth (49).

The Strathcarron 10K, which took place on the campus of the University of Stirling on Sunday, was another great success with over 400 runners – including Adam – taking part.

A Strathcarron Hospice spokesperson said: “Despite a challenging cross-country route, our runners really enjoyed the course. The event was supported by Life Fit Wellness who provided complimentary sports massage post-race.

“Mrs Tilly’s also kindly donated tablet and fudge for the runner goody-bags and also had staff participate in the race to raise funds, while Sainsbury’s Denny and Stirling stores kindly provided the water for our runners, with Brakes who provided cereal bars.

“Money is still coming in so we don’t yet know the final total of how much has been raised, but every penny will help us continued to provide our services here at Strathcarron Hospice and out in our local communities.”