MACROOM man Charles Murphy is taking on the coast-to-coast Race Across Scotland in aid of West Cork Rapid Response (WCRR).

Charles (47) is gearing up to cover 346km of challenging terrain in aid of the Clonakilty-based charity, which he says is close to his heart. He says a personal experience involving a relative showed him the extraordinary impact of the service when needed most.

‘A member of my family cut off his finger and West Cork Rapid Response came straight out to the scene. They were able to stop the bleeding and the way they dealt with it was just very good,’ said Charles, who also has relatives in Kinsale. The event will see him start in the seaside town of Portpatrick, before running a route across peaks, valleys, moorland, woodland and rugged terrain, finishing on Scotland’s east coast at Cockburnspath.

‘I’m ready for it and looking forward to it,’ said the dad-of-four who has done several runs in Scotland, including one from Glasgow to Edinburgh. He has completed 100km-plus runs for various charities and causes over the years. Charles says his latest training regime was designed to simulate the demands of the Scottish Highlands, with repeated runs up and down Ireland’s highest mountain, Carrauntoohil in Kerry, and a series of trail runs across County Cork, as well as runs from Macroom to Ballincollig and County Hall in Cork city.

With a strict 100-hour window to complete the race, Charles says he’s focused on one goal only: finishing within the allotted time.

‘Overall there’s 12 checkpoints in the race and 250 people are doing it. I have to make four checkpoints within a certain time because I’ll get knocked out if I don’t,’ said Charles.