12 HOUR DOUBLE MARATHON EFFORT ON THE SKYE HALF MARATHON ROUTE

After twenty years of worshipping Christ in the local primary school, other church buildings and even the local shinty club the Portree and Bracadale Free Church of Scotland have finally broken ground on the much anticipated new building project at Shepherd's Way, Portree.

Work is now well underway on the development based in the heart of Portree. This facility will be far more than simply a church building. It will serve as a much needed area for community groups to make use of throughout the week in a purpose built, modern surrounding.

With an overall fundraising target of £400,000 to complete the project work is ongoing by all in the congregation to meet this aim with coffee mornings, sales of work, regular donations and all manner of other events.

I will be taking part in the Isle of Skye Half Marathon but with a significant and lengthy twist. Around midnight in the early hours of Saturday 11 June 2022 I will start running solo around the half marathon route from Portree, up the mammoth hill at Drumuie and then onwards almost as far as Kensaleyre. From there the route goes uphill again towards Carbost, Skeabost and Pieness before undulating back towards Portree. I will keep running this loop throughout the night until I take part in the main Skye Half Marathon event at 1030 on Saturday morning. God willing I hope to complete four laps of the course to achieve a double marathon distance.

This will be the farthest and longest run that I've ever undertaken. Running solo through the night will be a huge challenge before joining the mass event with 500 other runners on the stunning course.

I would be incredibly grateful for any small sum that you can contribute to my effort to help encourage me through the night. The new building is not going to be just another church. It is a building for the benefit of the community at a time when such a facility is much in need locally.