A Bishopton man has run across the breadth of Scotland in under 29 hours in memory of his dad.

Martin Gray, 46, tackled the 134-mile-long John Muir Way trail earlier this month in aid of the Beatson Cancer Charity.

The dad-of-three's run from Dunbar, in East Lothian, to Helensburgh, in Argyll and Bute, proved to be a real test of his endurance.

Martin told The Gazette: "I started at 10am on the morning of Friday, June 9, and got into Helensburgh at 2.28pm on Saturday afternoon.

"It was extremely warm, so I was dehydrated quite badly early on and necking salt tablets like sweeties, but I managed to overcome that.

The Gazette:

"I ran only 15 of the 134 miles on my own, with people I know well and not so well coming out to run with me, which made the experience enjoyable.

"It helped me towards the end when I was really starting to struggle with the distance, fatigue and lack of sleep."

During the run, his brother Jonathan and some friends were travelling close by in a car to provide food and water every 10 miles.

Martin was inspired to take on the fundraising challenge in memory of his dad Alan, who died in July 2021 at the age of 72 after a five-year battle with prostate cancer.

"My dad was not really a runner but was always extremely interested in what I was doing and would come to my races," said the former Park Mains High pupil.

"He was certainly an inspiration towards the end of this run and my brother ran the last 20 miles with me into Helensburgh, so it was emotional."

The Gazette:

A JustGiving page set up for the running challenge has raised over £11,000 - well beyond the £5,000 target - for the Beatson Cancer Charity, which supported Alan during his cancer battle.

Martin, who works as a leasing manager with Volkswagon Group UK, said: "I never thought it would get to that amount of money, it has blown me away, and it is still coming in.

"My dad was always extremely complimentary about the Beatson and it provides such a calming and convivial atmosphere.

"Their fundraising staff were at the finish line in Helensburgh to see me come in and it's extremely humbling and inspiring to see how much they care."

To donate to Martin's fundraising drive, visit www.justgiving.com/fundraising/martin-gray77.