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Andrew Murray, Scottish Doctor and Ultra Runner

Andrew has been running for 5 years. During this time he has enjoyed racing in some of the most spectacular locations in the world.

Results include first overall in The Sahara Race, The Gobi Challenge, The 6633ultra (120 mile version) and The Scottish Ultra. Others include 4th North Pole marathon, 5th New Zealand 24 hr Race, and 16th in the Everest Marathon, his first race. He recognises the importance of taking care of his feet, and uses injinji socks, and PT-1000's shoes, by UK Gear, that are" the most dynamic and hard wearing shoe out there".

Andrew this year is running the Indo Ultra, then taking on the scotland2sahara challenge, a 3000 mile epic from John o groat's to the Moroccan sahara desert. The website address is www.scotland2sahara.com and his just giving page is www.justgiving.com/Scotland2Sahara. He is raising money for the Yamaa Trust for whom he is the medical advisor. Please feel free to donate by following the just giving link.

Andrew is also the director of Marathon Medical Services. As a runner himself, he knows how important it is to receive informed, sound medical advice. He has worked at races all round the world, with a recent favourite being the Al Andalus Ultra Trail. He is also part of a research team looking into nutrition in ultramarathon, and injuries in ultramarathon, and is a member of the International Marathon Medical Directors Association.

Article from Metro.

Record breaker 'jubilant' after running from Scotland to Sahara in 78 days.

Record-breaking doctor Andrew Murray has finished the equivalent of more than 100 marathons by running from Scotland to the Sahara in less than three months.

Dr Andrew Murray, left, crosses the Atlas mountains with Donnie Campbell, who joined him for part of the run (Pic: Richard Else).

Dr Murray arrived in Morocco after running the 4,262km (2,664 miles) from John O’Groats in just 78 days, ending his journey on Monday in temperatures of 35C (95F). Now he faces the biggest step of all – he’s getting married next month.

Speaking to Metro as he finished the run, he said: "It’s just a feeling of jubilation. Everything has been so sore but it is so awesome that it’s well worth it."
He immediately turned his mind to his wedding to fiancée Jennie Reeves, 31. "I’m going to sit down, have a beer and give Jennie a call. She has already banned running from the honeymoon," he said. "I must admit Jennie has done the bulk of the work for the wedding. I’ve helped as much as I can but the internet signal is not that great out here."

He described the run as a "fantastic journey" but admitted it had been "ridiculously hard". The 30-year-old locum doctor, from Edinburgh, set off in November hoping to reach the desert within 85 days. He spent Christmas Day running 38 miles through northern Spain and by doing at least 54km (34 miles) a day and not taking a day’s rest, he managed to finish with a week to spare.

The feat was not an official record-breaking attempt – the current Guinness world record for consecutive marathons is 52. But his achievement is believed to be a record for consecutive ultra marathons – those that are more than the standard distance of 26 miles.

He hopes to raise £100,000 for Mongolian charity Yamaa Trust, which aims to eradicate poverty from the south Gobi region of the country.

For information and to donate go to www.scotland2sahara.com

source: www.metro.co.uk

Article from the Scottish Sun.
The ultimate marathon man

DAREDEVIL Doc Andy Murray plans to set a world record by running 3,000 miles in 85 DAYS - with NO time off.

The 30-year-old aims to make as many headlines across the world as his tennis namesake by running more than 30 miles a day from John O'Groats to the Sahara desert in North Africa.

The gruelling charity challenge, which begins on November 8, will see the Aberdeen GP complete eight miles MORE than a marathon every day for nearly three months.

Japan's Akinori Kusuda, 65, ran the 26.2-mile distance 52 days in a row last year to claim the Guinness World Record for the most marathons run on consecutive days.

But if Andy achieves his amazing feat the world record will be his.

He said: "It would be amazing to be the benchmark for marathon running. I'm not at that stage yet though so I need to keep focused on getting the job done."

Andy admits his Scotland-to-Sahara adventure is the biggest challenge of his life and his preparations are as brutal as the journey that awaits him. He plans to run a whopping 100 miles every week until the day his expedition begins. He is fitting in a night each at his local tennis and squash clubs and two games of five-a-side with his friends to toughen-up his training schedule.

Last weekend, he shattered the record for running the length of Hadrian's Wall by finishing the 84-mile stretch in 16 hours and 59 minutes - THREE HOURS faster than previous holder Jon Watts.

This Saturday, he is tackling Skye's spectacular Cuillin Ridge, a range of mountains regarded as one of the UK's most daunting.

Andy said: "I'm so tired at the moment from all the training. And I know that by December I'll feel twice as exhausted. I'm not complaining though. The best thing you can do is forget about what you're doing. When I'm running or taking part in any sport, I lose all my thoughts. I'm determined to push myself to the max for this."

Andy is packing cereal bars, carbohydrate and protein drinks, tins of custard and rice pudding, apple pie, bottled water and potato scones to fuel him while he is away.

To stay fit, he has to eat a staggering 6,000 calories a day - 1,000 MORE than the daily intake of Olympic cycling legend Chris Hoy.

Andy said: "I might be eating like them but what I'm doing isn't comparable to the achievements of professional athletes. I'll have no problem tucking away that amount of food each day. I look forward to it. After every training session, my body is craving food and water."

Andy is no stranger to danger on the road. In 2005, he tackled the world's highest marathon in Mount Everest and two years later climbed America's highest summit, the 20,000ft Mount McKinley. Later that same year he finished a marathon in the North Pole and last year crossed the finish line in the Gobi Desert's marathon. But he admitted: "This is a different league from anything I've done. I'm a fit guy but this is far harder than just running a few marathons - it's scary. I wanted to set myself a target that was tough but achievable, and I think I've done that."

But, incredibly, the ultra runner claims the adventure is his equivalent of a HOLIDAY. Andy said: "I love the camaraderie that comes with these extreme endurance events. The buzz is incredible and I live for this type of thing. It might seem odd but I also use these challenges to do some sightseeing. The views are unbelievable."

He added: "My pals think I'm crazy and people can't believe I'm pushing my body to the limits like this. But I'm desperate to do something like this for charity and this is the sacrifice I need to make."

Andy hopes to raise £25,000 for Mongolian poverty charity The Yamaa Trust. He was horrified by the healthcare standards and living conditions on a visit to the East Asian country last year.

He said: "Kids who are deaf or kids who have poor vision or disabilities have little or no support. Hopefully the school the charity wants to build for the deaf will help improve things. There's a basic lack of medical provision across the country, too. I was shocked when I learned that some of the biggest towns in Mongolia didn't have a defibrillator."

He added: "It's a fantastic charity and I'm proud to be part of it. Any money I raise will go to causes that will make a difference."

A spokeswoman for the Guinness Book of World Records said: "If Andy pulls off this amazing feat he would definitely write himself into the record books. "All he has to do now is submit his application and we'll be keeping a close eye on his journey."

John O'Groats to Sahara Desert

DETERMINED Andy starts his epic journey at John O'Groats on November 8. He'll head south after stopping off to climb Ben Nevis on day five.

Then he will pass through England, France and Spain before enduring temperatures of up to 45°C (113°F) in the Sahara. The adventure finishes in Merzouga, Morocco on January 27. Andy said: "In Spain and Morocco I'll have to run with a SLEDGE because of the sand. It will carry my food, juice, waterproofs, Vaseline, painkillers, passport and money. It'll be tough, but there's just no way round it."

Andy has been taking running tips from marathon man Mark Cooper, 27. The pair teamed up for the Hadrian's Wall run on Saturday. Edinburgh office worker Mark ran 50 marathons in 56 days - 1,310 miles from Holland to Spain - earlier this year. Andy said: "He's been a real inspiration."

links:
www.thesun.co.uk
www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com
www.hexhamcourant.co.uk