Ed's 125km Loch Ness ultra run raises over £10,000 for clan centre
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Endurance athlete Ed Robinson was "exhausted but elated" after completing an ultra run around Loch Ness at the weekend – raising more than £10,000 in the process for the Clan Gunn Heritage Centre in Caithness.
Ed, membership secretary of the Clan Gunn Society, finished the gruelling Ultra X 125 Scotland in 22 hours, 17 minutes and 44 seconds. The event involved running for 125km (77 miles) on a route from Inverness via the Great Glen Way to Fort Augustus and most of the way back, with an overnight camping stop.
Ed revealed that messages of support he received from clan members had given him the motivation to keep going.
A supporter in the United States, who wishes to remain anonymous, promised to donate $100 per kilometre. Ed has therefore raised $12,500, or approximately £10,000, from that single source to go towards the clan centre at Latheron.
He has also generated £359 so far in smaller donations.
Ed was one of 73 finishers in Ultra X 125 Scotland, while eight athletes retired from the race.
Ed (36), who lives in Bath, said: “Physically, I feel drained and exhausted but elated at having achieved my goals both in my running and also to support the Clan Gunn Heritage Centre.
"During the race, I was getting so many messages of support from members of Clan Gunn relayed to me and these really motivated me to keep going even when my legs had enough of hills.
"Our main sponsor was also watching from the USA via a live tracker and it was amazing to know that I was being supported from so far away.”
The Clan Gunn Heritage Centre, in Latheron's old parish church, will reopen in June for the first time since the initial lockdown. Various building repairs have been carried out during that time.
Clan chief Iain Gunn of Gunn said: “Many congratulations and thanks to Ed on completing the 125km run. I hope he is none the worse from the effort and now able to enjoy a bit of rest.
"At the heritage centre in Latheron, works on the belfry tower are near completion – hopefully by the end of next week.
"The centre’s reopening date is Monday, June 6. Any additional funding for the centre will be welcome as repair costs are likely to be in danger of escalating.
"Our normal income comes from donations from visitors, clan members and from the Clan Gunn Society. The funds raised by Ed Robinson’s run will be very welcome.”
Ed's fundraising page can be found at www.justgiving.com/fundraising/gunn-run
