Inverness runner to take on Loch Ness Marathon – 10 times!
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For most people, the thought of running one marathon is daunting enough – but an Inverness man is now aiming to complete 10 in a row.
Steven Burnside will take the first steps in his 262-mile challenge on Friday, when he will follow the route of the Loch Ness Marathon from Whitebridge to Inverness.
The 47-year-old from Milton of Leys, who is a member of the Highland Hill Runners club, will then repeat the same route for the next nine days, culminating in the official Baxters Loch Ness Marathon on Sunday, October 1.
“I like taking on a challenge that is a challenge, where there’s no guarantee of finishing,” he said.
“In some ways the last day will be easier, because you’ve got all your transport sorted out, you’ve got all the water stations, you’ve got people around you, you’ve got supporters on the route – and you’ll be able to find the start line because it will be marked!”
Steven’s “10 marathons in 10 days” challenge will be even more special – as it will be the 10th time he has completed the Loch Ness Marathon, having taken up running in 2009 and entered his first race at the event.
He is raising money for Mikeysline and is keen to raise the profile of what he calls a fantastic local charity.
“It gets people talking about Mikeysline and finding out what they do, so it spreads the word,” said Steven, who is married with two teenage children.
“There’s a big enough problem with mental health, especially with men in the Highlands – we’re not always the best about talking about things, are we? So anything that can raise the profile and get it out there is good.
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“Mental health-wise, running has been a god-send for me. People say to me ‘how can you run up and down that distributor road, it’s horrible, it’s boring, there’s all these cars going past’. But that’s just my training. I don’t think about that, because what I think about is where that then takes me.
“It’s the special days – like when we did the South Loch Ness Trail [a 40-mile run from Fort Augustus to Inverness] – they are the days you run for. Fresh air, fitness – that’s probably the best thing you can ever do for mental health.”
Steven is no stranger to long-distance or multi-day running, having completed the West Highland Way Race from Milngavie on the outskirts of Glasgow to Fort William three times, as well as finishing the eight-day, 240-mile Cape Wrath Ultra, which follows a wild route from Fort William to the north-western tip of Sutherland.
“So I’ve certainly got some experience of running long distances over a number of days,” he said, “but this is a different challenge because it’s the same route over the 10 days. There’s no variety, it’s the same route, a route I know, so this provides a different challenge, especially with it being on road the whole time.
“Trail running is easier in a lot of ways than road running, so I think 10 days of doing a marathon on the same road is going to be difficult. The mental challenge – the same thing day after day for 10 days, that’s the big challenge for me.”
Steven will be setting off from Whitebridge on Friday afternoon for his first marathon, and will post updates on social media which the Loch Ness Marathon organisers plan to share.
Malcolm Sutherland, event and race director of Baxters Loch Ness Marathon & Festival of Running, said: “We wish Steven all the best for his incredible challenge. Taking on one Baxters Loch Ness Marathon is an achievement, let alone doing it 10 times in 10 days!
“I hope Steven inspires others to take part in this year’s event, whether it’s the Baxters River Ness 5K, 10K, 10K Corporate Challenge or the Wee Nessie. We’ll be cheering Steven and everyone else over the finish line on October 1!”
To support Steven’s fundraiser for Mikeysline, visit his JustGiving page at www.justgiving.com/fundraising/lochness10in10
