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"One of the things I love most about the challenges is pitting my wits against the environment"


Going the distance But it was a race in Outer Mongolia, the Gobi Challenge, which gave him the idea for Scotland2Sahara: “I had never seen anything like it, the environment in the Gobi region is ridiculously hostile, people are living in extreme poverty, but they want to share whatever they have with you. It made me determined to raise money for them.” Determination to raise money for a worthy cause is one thing, but finding the will to run 2,659 miles in consecutive days is quite another. Andrew seems surprised by the suggestion that his type of running would be completely beyond the reach of most people, although he does admit to being a “targeted and goal orientated person”. This kind of understatement is typical of his gentle manner, which


comes with a very dry and self-deprecating humour you imagine serves him well in the middle of nowhere with only the sound of his feet pounding the snow or sand for company. So how does he prepare for an ultramarathon? “Mental preparation is the most difficult thing,” he says. “You have to be very adaptable. Of course, you have a practical plan, making sure you have everything you need for the environment you’ll be running in, for example, but there are a lot of things you can’t predict. “Every single run I do there’s a moment where I think I can’t go on,


when your legs tell you that you want to stop. Experience helps, because you know it will eventually get better. During the Scotland2Sahara run, the fact that I was running every single day, I was constantly tired and I felt like the world was conspiring against me. But it was also amazing, knowing I was part of this adventure and, honestly, that’s one of the things I love most about it, pitting your wits against the environment.” Alongside maintaining some work as a GP, Andrew is a keen


mountaineer, and has scaled the highest peaks on four continents. He also runs Marathon Medical Services with his friend Dr Duncan Goodall, providing medical services to marathons, races and expedition in the UK and beyond. The role has seen him travel to six continents and the North Pole, working with some of the world's top athletes. Having medical knowledge has also helped him stay in tune with


his own body, although pushing himself beyond known limits is perhaps part of the appeal. “All the advice in medical textbooks says that if you run more than


four consecutive marathons, then your body will start to decline and break down, you will get loads of overuse injuries,” Andrew explains. “Knowing this would happen was maybe unhelpful in a way, but it was also good because I could take action to prevent it. The biggest problem I had was actually anaemia, with my feet slapping against the road over and over, and losing some blood in my pee, but I saw what was happening so I started to take iron tablets.” He also planned his route from Scotland to the Sahara so he could


take a sports medical exam in the morning, then run 30-odd miles afterwards, through one of the harshest UK winters in living memory. His worst moment came not in the heat and sand of the Sahara


towards the end of the run, but in the cold and dark of London near the beginning, he explains. “When I was running in England, my Achilles tendons were killing me on each step – they are twice the size of a normal person’s. I was running through incredibly deep snow, nothing was open, all the roads were closed. I was thinking ‘what am I doing? It’s not going to get any better anytime soon.’ That was my lowest point.”


Main picture and above: Andrew Murray tackles the gruelling Scotland to Sahara run. He is wearing protective gaiters to stop sand getting into his shoes.


But Andrew struggled through, driven


not only by his promise to raise funds for the Yamaa trust and his impending wedding to fiancée Jennie Reeves but also his passion for highlighting the benefits of physical activity.


Beyond marathons He now plans to focus on working with


the government and other agencies to try to make the nation more active. He is currently one of four registrars in Scotland in the new specialty of sports and exercise medicine, which includes training on safely prescribing exercise in individuals and managing musculoskeletal injuries. He says: “I work very hard to support this agenda, and am pleased


to say progress is already being made. “Only 35 to 45 per cent of Scots get enough exercise a week, which is shocking when you realise the recommended amount equates to just 2.5 hours. It’s an exciting thing to be involved with and I’m grateful I’ve had the support of so many people, including the RCGP. Doctors have a terrific role to play in promoting activity.” Andrew recently published a book, Running Beyond Limits*, which


details his epic journeys and physical endurance, and has an introduction written by the great adventurer and explorer Sir Ranulph Fiennes. Modest as ever, Andrew says: “It took me ages to write, I’m really not that clever!” Many would beg to differ. Indeed, his achievements in medicine, running and fundraising were recognised by youth organisation JCI Scotland in August, when he won the Outstanding Young Person of Scotland Award. As for the next challenge, Andrew says: “There are a few hills I want


to climb, a few runs I want to do, but I think my wife would like me to take a break for a while!”


* To order, visit: www.mountain-media.co.uk


Rowan Morrison is a freelance writer and a partner at Bird Morrison, Edinburgh


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