22 April 2026 / By DAVID FERGUSON
IF YOU wanted to be part of a rally but didn’t quite know how – without being in a car – then maybe your time has come.
That is the message from the Scottish Association of Motor Sports Clubs (SAMSC) and Scottish Motorsport Marshals Club (SMMC) who are opening up the opportunity for people in the Borders and Northumberland to train as new marshals ahead of the Jim Clark Rally next month.
The rally is now one of the most famous across the world, remembering Clark, the double World F1 Champion from Chirnside, and being one of the most exciting as it takes place on closed public roads around the Borders. Volunteers come from all walks of life to be marshals at rally events, but they must be trained, and the organisers of the Jim Clark Rally are working with the associations to upskill more marshals in the Borders.
A special free training day is taking place at Duns Rugby Club on Saturday (25 April), from 9am to 4pm – sign up here – where experienced marshals will work with newcomers to build confidence, refine skills and play a key role in making rallying possible.
Those new to marshalling will receive full preparation for their first rally, while experienced volunteers can refresh and extend their knowledge in line with the latest marshalling practises and Motorsport UK guidelines. The training is free and lunch and refreshments will be provided.
Garry Headridge (right) is Chairman of the Scottish Motorsport Marshals Club, and, having started rally marshalling in the late 1970s, is usually the Jim Clark Rally’s Chief Communications Officer. He will be missing this year due to a wedding, but will be in Duns on Saturday to update his own training and insisted it was a great opportunity for people to join ‘the rally family’.
“There is a great family atmosphere around rallying in Scotland, and the marshals bring a lot of that to the events,” he said. “Theres a great sense of camaraderie because you’re all volunteers wanting to be there and be as close to the action as you can be, safely, and because we understand the excitement of that we can help other fans enjoy it without putting themselves in danger.
“It’s also a great chance to actually learn skills that you can take into other areas of your life or career. We’ve had people that have used their background as marshals and the training that they’ve received to be a marshal in a CV for a job, and got that job on the strength of it.
“That’s because it builds up your understanding of managing events, people, the value of good communications and working well as a team. So, yes, the training day is a great opportunity for people to be part of rallying, helping to ensure the events go ahead, and benefit themselves too.”
One familiar face at rallies in the Borders is Michelle ‘Chelle’ Hunter (far left). She grew up in a rallying family in Inverness – her brother Andrew Falconer is a co-driver and currently leads the Scottish Championship with Scott Macbeth – and her boss at the Multi-Fuel Stove Company, Calum Atkinson, is also an enthusiast and will be competing in the Jim Clark Rally.
“I started marshalling when I was 15 and I’m 41 now, so I’ve been doing it quite a while!,” she explained.
“I got involved through the family connection because my dad David was also a co-driver and I did a bit myself, but after stopping that I came back to marshalling because it keeps me involved.
“I have met so many people through rallies and you get a good variety of jobs to do, so you’re not always doing the same thing. You can be on a timing control at one event, or a spectator control or service, and at the Border Counties I got the chance to go out in a spectator control vehicle, checking the stages, and that was great fun.
“I’m part of the local car club, Border Ecosse Car Club, and to anyone thinking they’d like to see a rally up close I’d say come along on Saturday to the training, have some fun, and join your local car club. There are always lots of opportunities to get involved, when you want and to whatever level you want.”
Garry added: “But if we don’t have volunteer marshals, there’s no rally. It’s that simple. We need the marshals to protect all the different parties, to protect the competitors and give them the chance to compete, and, as Chelle says, it’s not all about safety – you’ve got marshals that run service areas, that give competitors their time cards, that check times etc.
“A lot of marshals come from backgrounds in rallying, but we have lots of marshals now who have never been involved in rallying before and just love the whole experience.
“We have a strap line in the club about how marshalling is not just being involved, it’s being close to the action, and doing that safely ensures we can all enjoy the excitement of motorsport.”
Newcomers taking part in Saturday’s event in Duns will spend the day learning from rally people, working in real-world scenarios, with the training covering an introduction to rally marshalling, closed road rallying, spectator safety and management, and first on scene response. The course also counts towards Motorsport UK’s Marshals’ Pathway licence requirements.
You can sign up here – https://forms.gle/27MoNasFoXJxog2B9.
