A SCOTS doctor is aiming to top his feat of running from Scotland to the Sahara, by running seven ultra-marathons on seven continents in seven days.
GP Andrew Murray, who has run everywhere from the North Pole to Outer Mongolia, and before he even starts his latest amazing feat he will complete an Ice Marathon in Antarctica.
The 32-year-old, from Edinburgh, will first run 26 miles across glaciers and mountains in temperatures as low as -25C.
After that he will complete seven ultra-marathons – runs of 31 miles – on successive days in Antarctica, Patagonia, Atlanta, London, Egypt and Dubai, finishing his week at the Syndey Opera House in Australia.
Dr Murray hopes his amazing treks will inspire others to healthy lifestyles and raise at least £10,000 for the Scottish Association for Mental Health.
He will travel more than 25,000 miles around the world in economy class, burning 6,500 calories a day, enough for a fully-grown crocodile.
He will begin the Arctic run later this month, and hopes other will complete the challenge of running 5km a day for seven days as he runs.
He will travel a total of 25,500 miles, as well as ruining several pairs of socks and seeing spectacular glaciers and mountains.
Health
Dr Murray said: “It’s a genuine challenge, athletically and logistically.
“It is a fantastic way to challenge myself and see some of the world in fast forward!
“But the most important thing is to raise awareness of the benefits of exercise- being active regularly is the single best thing for your health.
“It cuts the risk of dying early by 30% and is good for the brain. If we get 6000 people to walk or run 5km a day for a week, that’s enough to go around the world five times!”
Dr Murray was named the Scottish Government’s physical activity champion after completing a 2,659 mile run in 77 days from Scotland to the Sahara.
The doctor said even though his run to the Sahara was a gruelling punishment, he is still up for a new challenge.
Challenge
He said: “Both my feet and myself were totally wrecked after running to the Sahara, and it’ll be no different this time I’m sure, but it’ll be worth it.
“Low fitness kills as many as smoking – almost 1 in 10 of the world’s population.
“I’m pleased the Scottish Government is recognising the scale of the problem and encouraging and supporting people to get active and stay active.”
He is encouraging other Scots to sign up for the 5×50 challenge to pledge to walk, run or cycle 5km a day for the week he is away.
Every entrant who sign up on the website, 5×50.co.uk, will have a chance to win signed Chris Hoy T-shirts or luxury stays at the Balmoral hotel in Edinburgh.
So far 417 individuals have said they will take part, but Andrew said:”The target figure is 6000 participants and to know there will be people back home involved at the same time as I am running will be a huge boost.”
