The Hour

A determined Scots doctor has started preparations for a monster charity run that will take him from the tip of Scotland to the heart of Africa in an attempt to raise £25,000 for impoverished children in Mongolia.

Aberdeen based doctor Andrew Murray will swap snow for sand as he runs the 2,650 miles from chilly John O‘Groats to the sweltering desert heat of Merzouga in Morocco.

He aims to complete the gruelling distance, the equivalent of over a hundred London marathons, in just 85 days with no extended breaks or days off.

Speaking to The Hour, Andrew said he was looking forward to providing some much needed financial assistance to his chosen charity, The Yamaa Trust, who work with abandoned children and local schools in the arid Gobi Desert region.

Andrew said: “I was racing out in Mongolia last year and it’s just a fantastic charity. There aim is to eradicate the widespread poverty present in the Southern Gobi Desert of Mongolia.”

The path Andrew will follow takes him through a variety of different habitats and scenery and the intrepid adventurer even plans to add a climb up Ben Nevis to his busy itinerary. However, it’s unlikely anything will faze the 30 year old who has already climbed Mount Everest and completed similar long distance runs in Asia and Africa.

“I’m looking forward to the run because there is so much diversity from it,” said Andrew. “I have been lucky that I’ve run in the Sahara Desert and Gobi desert before so I know what to expect. I love climbing as well so I'll be sure to enjoy the hilly scenery in Scotland and in Morocco.”

Although it might bring back images of Tom Hank’s happy-go-lucky Forrest Gump character, Andrew’s preparation is anything but impulsive as his strict training routine and detailed equipment will attest.

“I burn pretty easily and I could be looking at temperatures of up to 50 degrees in the Sahara so it’s essential that I cover up. My feet are absolutely critical as well and I have to be careful to avoid blisters.”

Anyone wishing to sponsor Andrew and help him hit the £25,000 donation mark can do so by visiting his expedition website, following him on Twitter @scotland2sahara or checking out his facebook page, Scotland 2 Sahara.