Astonishing feat of human endurance to be attempted by ultra runner to raise funds for historic trust
It might be a long shot but if he pulls it off it’ll go down as one of the more remarkable feats of human endurance.
Ultra runner Mark Horne is to attempt to cover the 134 miles of the John Muir Way in one day, raising money for conservation charity the John Muir Trust in the process.
Starting in Helensburgh at midday on 25 April he aims to reach Dunbar 24 hours later in a bid to raise money for the management and promotion of the route.
The challenge will be filmed by BBC for The Adventure Show.
The coast-to-coast route echoes John Muir’s own personal journey growing up in Scotland’s east coast town of Dunbar before travelling to the west coast, where he set sail for life in America and Mark will be running the equivalent of five marathons back to back.
The route has been designed to take in castles, historic towns and villages, stunning coastal scenery as well as Scotland’s first national park, Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park and Mark is looking forward to the challenge amongst some of Scotland’s most stunning scenery.
Horne, a member of Hartree Jets Ecosse, a performance triathlon squad based in Edinburgh, said: “John Muir is renowned for his adventures in the great outdoors. This run is my own challenge but I hope people across the central belt and beyond will have their own adventures, whether they be on the whole route or sampling a short section.”
The route was developed by Ron McCraw of Scottish Natural Heritage and he will be joining Mark for part of his run.
He said: “The John Muir Way officially opened on 21st April 2014 – the date of John Muir’s birthday – and this, amongst other celebratory events, is a very fitting way to mark the first anniversary of the trail.
“Each section of the route has its own special appeal and attraction and I am looking forward to joining Mark as he sets off from Helensburgh to Balloch.”
Keith Geddes, chair of the Central Scotland Green Network, was the inspiration behind the route and the creation of the John Muir Way was a flagship project for the CSGN.
Keith said: “The John Muir Way was designed to be a route accessible to all regardless of ability and experience although we didn’t expect anyone to try to run the whole trail in 24 hours.
“This is a fantastic challenge by Mark and we are very proud that he is also raising funds to be invested in the John Muir Way which will help to allow the route to be enjoyed for many generations to come.”
