There is meaning amid the madness of Scot’s latest bid to push the limits

THEY say that about 0.007 percent of the world’s population will run an ultramarathon in their lifetime. Now imagine running for 32 days straight.

That’s exactly the challenge Chris Thomson has set himself and started earlier this week.

The 34-year-old from Dumfries and Galloway is aiming to become the first man to run 32 ultramarathons of around 53 miles each day – one in each Scottish borough – after starting his challenge in his home town on Wednesday.

As much as Thomson loves adventure, there is of course more to this world record attempt than just testing his own limits.

The Scot donates 20 cents for every new follower he gains on social media

“The main reason for this was my mate, who unfortunately committed suicide at the age of 33,” he reveals. ‘He was the heart of the party, a real sportsman and it came as a big shock. So mental health is a big side of things.

‘My mother was very well looked after by Maggie, as was my aunt who unfortunately passed away. Then there was the big cycle we did for MNDA last year and the Doddie’5 Foundation, which donated a chair to my partner’s father towards the end, which helped him. So it is very important to help all these charities.

‘I’m passionate about all these charities, and I have a link with them all. It’s a great opportunity to help them all and they’ve all been very supportive.

‘It’s been such an enjoyable trip… although that might change when the running starts!’

It was in March that Thomson decided to quit his job in software sales in London to fully commit to his business. While he insists the time is right to give it a try, he knows it won’t be fun.

Having lost a close friend to mental health issues, Thomson accepts that running 33 miles every day – as a mark of tribute to his friend – will be more of a mental battle than a physical one.

“About two weeks ago I ran seven marathons in eight days, just to try to test my body and see what it was like over those longer distances, and it seemed to be fine,” he says. ‘Before that I ran half marathons, 10 km a week and 30 miles at the weekend, so now I try to vary it and keep it fresh, but also keep testing my body.

“But the last two weeks have just been about tapering off and trying not to get injured, but you want to keep your legs going.

“It becomes mind over matter. As soon as you hit a threshold in your body, your body just says, “You could sit down, have a burger or a beer, have fun. Just stop, stop, stop!” If you can put one foot in front of the other, everything will be fine.”

For most athletes, collecting data and trying to increase the pace is a reason to compete. For Thomson, however, the time he spends on Scotland’s roads and trails is irrelevant. It’s just about covering the ground.

“Ideally I’m not on the road all day, but it’s also about getting it done,” he adds. ‘I’ve lived in Scotland most of my life, but there’s so much I haven’t seen yet. I’ve never been to the islands, different parts of Aberdeenshire, that sort of thing, so I’ve got routes planned in Lewis and Harris and I realize it’ll be quite class to run there. I want to enjoy the experience as much as possible and enjoy it as much as possible.

Thomson started out in his hometown community in Dumfries, starting from his parents’ farm

This is just the latest challenge Thomson has taken on in his bid to help charities

‘I have received many messages on Instagram and emails from people with similar stories who would like to get involved. I hope it will be a fun experience. It’s going to be tough, but I’m going to see cool things, cool people and hear cool stories.

“I want to enjoy it, but I know if I put too much strain on my body, things start to fall apart.”

No stranger to an adventure himself, Thomson has completed a number of mammoth challenges for various charities close to his heart.

Inspired by ‘The Iron Cowboy’ James Lawrence and, more recently, ‘The Hardest Geezer’ Russ Cook, who crossed the length of Africa in 352 days, Thomson hopes he can continue to challenge his own body and help raise more money for good goals.

‘It’s amazing how many people are doing this kind of thing now. The world is moving very much towards people who are trying to push the boundaries and now want to achieve something different,” says Thomson. ‘I’m inspired by people like James Lawrence, the Iron Cowboy. He has done 100 Ironmans in 50 states twice. He started with Hawaii and Alaska because he had to fly there, which is a good tip for my challenge.

‘I’ll start with the islands, just in case something goes wrong. I want to be the first to do something like this consecutively. So if the worst happens, I can always start over the first three days. I’m going via Stornoway via Inverness to Orkney, back to Shetland and then to Glasgow. Head along the west coast, east and end in Edinburgh.

“It’ll be a few long rides, but at least that’s on land. The hardest run will be when I fly back from Shetland. I don’t land in Glasgow until 2.40pm and then have to get to Greenock, so it means I might have to run until after midnight that day. It will be a fun test.

‘There’s nothing glamorous about this! It is an Opel Astra that my parents will use with all my equipment on the road. It is also used on their farm. There won’t be a constant support crew, but I will have people along the way to help me.

‘Last November I ran 300 miles and in December another 500. After Christmas I did 10 marathons in a row. In November I also cycled from John O’Groats to Land’s End. My buddy and I cycled from the bottom of Ireland to the top and kayaked around the Isle of Arran. I’ve always done small things, but it’s a good time in my life to give this bigger one a chance.

‘If I like it, maybe I can move on to some bigger challenges. I have some more in store.”

You can donate by following Chris on Instagram, TikTok and X by following his account @Tourdethomo. To donate directly to Chris Thomson’s fundraiser, visit: