23 marathons in as many days was a lonely labour of love for Highland musician on a mission
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A HIGHLAND musician struck a chord with charities close to his heart by running the equivalent of a marathon a day – 23 days on the trot.
And while the gruelling physical challenge of the 630-mile trek across England’s south coast was tough, 24-year-old Edderton man Ruairidh Gollan admitted it was the mental struggle he hadn't bargained on.
The 24-year-old covered the average of 28 miles a day to complete the South West Coast Path from Minehead in Somerset to Poole in Dorset.
The musician and freelance worker for Fèis Rois raised more than £2300 for four of his favourite charities: Alzheimer Scotland, the British Heart Foundation, The Scottish Association for Mental Health and the South West Coast Path Association
A member of the East Sutherland Athletics Club, he is used to pounding the pavements and paths – but the sheer isolation of his south coast challenge caught him off guard.
“I hadn’t anticipated how hard it would be”, he admitted. “I had thought about the physical element, obviously, but hadn’t considered how hard it would be to run and walk nine hours a day for 23 days on my own. My brother Eoghann and his girlfriend Alyse did appear occasionally and that was great but most of the time I got by listening to music and podcasts on my iPhone.”
Ruairidh, who completed his first London Marathon in two hours, 26 minutes and fifty-two seconds earlier this year reckoned he took 1.3 million steps on the way.
A member of a much respected local family of athletes and musicians, he said: ”I had a lot of help in planning and carrying out this adventure and I would like to thank my family and all those who supported me. Special tanks to those who arranged a coffee morning and plant sale here in Edderton which raised £550.”
