Motherwell Athletics Club runner Douglas Samson joked that he endured a ‘24-hour suffer-fest’ but is delighted to have raised over £2000 for charity by running over 100 miles at the Glenmore 24 ultra marathon.
Samson, 39, from Motherwell, ran a four-mile loop for 24 hours in Glenmore forest, near Aviemore, completing 101.7 miles, with an 8,100ft elevation, finishing 12th from 110 runners.
In doing so, he raised more than £2000 for Glasgow Children’s Hospital, and is delighted with his effort.
He said: “I’m really pleased with the fundraising. Everyone has been incredibly generous and it’s a cause that a lot of people know, and it touches a lot of people.
“It’s lovely to have that support. That people support you personally, but are also happy to donate to the challenge.
“If I can raise some funds through a 24-hour suffer-fest, I’m more than happy to do so!
“The Glenmore 24 has been on my radar for a long time. I enjoy ultra marathons and it was my first time doing a 24-hour run.
“When I signed up for it, I thought I’d give 100 miles a go, as a sort of established target for a lot of people when you do a 24-hour race.
“With a fair wind, a bit of luck and good training, you can hit 100, so that was my goal.
“The Glenmore four-mile loop has its pros and cons.
“On the plus-side, my wife Gayle was my crew, so every four miles she had everything laid up on the table that I might need, so that was pretty good.
“You never know what you’re going to want to eat or drink at a particular time, but what I planned from a nutrition perspective, after about eight hours I couldn’t really stomach it any more, because it was so hot.
“Gayle was able to get me different fuel and force me to have stuff when I didn’t necessarily feel like it, so although the four-mile loop can be a wee bit Groundhog Day, after a while it’s got the up-side as well.”
Though not concerned with his placing in the ultra marathon, Douglas was pleased with his efforts.
He said: “I wouldn’t say I’m a competitive runner at all, but to finish so highly in the field, I was really chuffed, and I think it goes to show that over 24 hours it’s a bit of a leveller.
“You can be a really fast runner, but over that time there are so many factors and variables that it’s not necessarily the fastest person who is going to achieve what you’re after.
“You’re only really running against yourself, everyone has their own personal challenges and targets.
“Some of the most inspiring performances, for me, were people who maybe didn’t do the 100 miles or 50, but who are out there lap after lap, giving it their best shot.”
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