A young Glasgow man will fundraise in memory of his late friend by taking on five full and two half marathons.
Jamie Martin, 23, is planning the challenge in memory of his friend Murray Stewart, who died in 2019 after a battle with a brain tumour.
Jamie, who has never ran a marathon before, hopes to raise a huge £5000 minimum this year with all the funds going to Teenage Cancer Trust.
He met Murray when he was 13 at tennis club and the two were friends ever since.
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"I turned up at tennis that first night and we drew. He was so good and everyone wanted to play with him" said Jamie.
"We became good friends through tennis, and over the years grew closer through nights out and our Whatsapp group.
"I didn't originally know that he even had a brain tumour at first, I heard through friends and then it cleared up, great news. But I was living in China when I found out it had come back, and two months later I got a phone call with the bad news that he had died. He was so harmless, so chilled, was just such a good guy."
Now, two years on and with the world back open again, Jamie is running the marathons as a nod to Murray's own endurance.
He'll be running five marathons across the UK, from South Hampton to Cumbria, to York and Edinburgh.
They begin in April and end in October, with two marathons only a week apart from each other.
"I just thought this was the best thing to do for the amount of money that I want to raise" said Jamie. "I knew it would have to be extreme, and I don't run so this is going to be it.
"I got into running during lockdown because it was a good way to keep fit - I suppose it's a bit like the gym where it's not too bad when you get there. I know it's a bit crazy but I wanted to do something that means I can raise a bit amount of money for the charity.
"I think Murray would think I was joking the whole time if he were here, but I think he’d be proud. I’m going to do it for him, not think about how tired or sore or I am when i'm running, but just about him him and the cause it's for."
You can donate to Jamie's fundraiser here.
