Scottish runners inspired by Jamie Laing take on ‘monster’ 10-day ultramarathon from Glasgow to London for Comic Relief

A team of 14 runners is planning to beat Made in Chelsea veteran Jamie Laing’s Comic Relief ultramarathon challenge of 2025 by running ten ultramarathons in ten days, covering 400 miles between Glasgow and London for the charity.

The Long Way Doon runners, who are friends from Bravehearts Boxing Gym in Hamilton, South Lanarkshire, are fronted by gym owner Steven McMillan, his colleague Beth Arthur and gym member John Cleland. They are planning to run from BBC Glasgow to London’s BBC Broadcasting House, setting off on Monday March 9.

“It’s a massive challenge,” Steven McMillan, 41, told PA Real Life.

“We’ve done some big challenges, running ultramarathons, but to do 10 back to back is a monster.”

The “monster” challenge was the brainchild of John Cleland, 46, who, after seeing TV personality and BBC Radio 1 DJ Jamie Laing run five marathons in five days from London to Salford in 2025, “made a passing comment to Steven and Beth: Why don’t we double it?”

“And that’s where the challenge was born – Beth and Stevie absolutely jumped on it.”

So, too, did the 11 other members of the Long Way Doon running team, who were recruited into the challenge through a proposal by John and Beth at the Bravehearts Boxing Gym. Getting down on one knee with a Red Nose in a ring box, the team leaders popped the question to their friends, who agreed to take on the ultramarathon.

By Beth’s calculations as she planned the route, the Bravehearts team will more than double the distance Jamie ran: their route covers 400 miles, while Jamie’s – still no mean feat – was 150 miles.

“It’s the first thing that’s scared me in probably eight years,” said Steven.

“I did an ironman eight years ago, and that scared me back then, but I have done loads of challenges – triathlons and ultras – since, they’ve just never scared me.

“But when we signed up to this one, I did think: This is going to be tough.”

“We’ve done challenges before, but nothing of this magnitude,” agreed John.

“This is absolutely ridiculous. I’m hoping we will complete it – I’ve no doubt we will. I think everybody is as determined as each other.

“If I have to crawl on my hands and knees over that finish line at Broadcasting House, then so be it!”

Starting on Monday March 9, the Bravehearts’ run will take them from BBC Glasgow through Scotland, around the North Pennines and through the Yorkshire Dales, heading south through Sheffield down the spine of England until they hit the capital. Their finish line will be the BBC’s Broadcasting House in central London on Wednesday March 18, two days before Red Nose Day on Friday March 20.

When Beth Arthur planned the route, she tried to avoid some of the biggest hills of the Pennines and the Peak District, but it simply wasn’t possible to avoid every peak.

“It was getting to the point that if we were trying to avoid all these big hills and go around them, well, it was going to be a 500-mile run,” said the 40-year-old.

“Days four and five are going to be our hardest days,” she added, referring to the section of the route between Melkinthorpe on the edge of the Lake District to Baildon, just north of Bradford, which will see them traverse the Yorkshire Dales National Park.

“But day five, luckily enough, we’ve got use of a pool and a spa at our hotel. So I think, to be honest, that might be a saviour for us.”

However, the running doesn’t just start on March 9 – the team are currently training hard with long runs throughout the week to ensure their bodies are ready for the challenge.

“I swore blind that I would never set my alarm where it starts with a four in it… But we’ve all got our work commitments, so we’re all up at four-thirty in the morning, five or six days out of the week, because you want to get that done,” John said.

“The last thing you want to do is go home at night and you’re out running for two hours!

“Don’t get me wrong, I’m coming home at night and falling asleep on the couch because I’m that tired.

“It is all consuming.”

“The weekends are pretty much just engulfed by running…” Beth agreed.

“But we’ve all been training really, really well as a team, and motivating and inspiring one another,” Steven added.

“I just hope that we all manage to keep injury-free and motivated, and the weather’s maybe on our side as well – but it’s going to be a monster.

“I do think we’ve all done everything we could, so that’s a good feeling.”

On the run itself, one of the biggest challenges will be ensuring their bodies are properly fuelled for the distance: It is estimated that the runners will burn around 6,000 calories per day.

They are being supported by coach Will Usher, who also worked with Jamie Laing for his challenge, as well as a nutritionist and physiotherapist on the trail.

Of course, they will also have each other’s backs when times get tough. They plan to bring speakers for impromptu karaoke sessions for motivation, and will all be mindful to keep spirits high even when the challenge feels impossible.

Beth said they are “such a strong team” and “know each other inside out”, adding: “We’re a bunch of ordinary people doing extraordinary things.”

The Long Way Doon team hopes to raise £60,000 for Comic Relief, a cause close to their hearts.

“I grew up with Comic Relief,” John said.

“I remember Comic Relief back in the Lenny Henry days, Billy Connolly days… It was always a staple in my household. You’d watch Comic Relief on a Friday night, you’d watch all the good that they were doing, not just in the UK, but further afield.

“It’s a great cause, and it’s a wacky enough challenge that we had all hoped would be noticed.”

Angharad McKenzie, director of fundraising and communications at Comic Relief, said: “Taking on ten ultramarathons in ten days is no small feat, and every mile they run will help put food on tables, provide people with safe places to sleep and offer safety to those at risk of harm.

“We hope their journey encourages others to support Comic Relief this year, whether that’s fundraising, donating or taking on a challenge of their own.”

Find out more about fundraising for Comic Relief at comicrelief.com/getinvolved, and donate to the Long Way Doon challenge here: www.justgiving.com/page/braveheartsboxinggym1.