A DUMFRIESSHIRE man has complete a gruelling SEVEN marathons in as many days in memory of his late mum and to raise cash for charity.
Conor Harkness lost his mum Jacqueline to cancer when he was just 15 and has previously raised money for Macmillan Cancer Support in her honour.
But now he’s finished his hardest challenge yet as he ran over 183 miles in just a week.
During the week he was joined by his girlfriend Hannah Macgregor, from Ecclefechan, and other family and friends.
On Saturday, Conor crossed the finish line to find his gran Sheena Findlay and auntie Christine waiting for him, along with his dad James and a number of others cheering him on.
Conor, 27, said: “I’ve done a lot of hard things in the last couple of years but this was my toughest challenge yet. My feet are swollen but I got through it. Thinking about my mum got me through the tough last few days and I know she’d be proud that I managed to complete it.
“The support from everyone has been amazing and helped me get through too.
“Losing my mum was undoubtedly the hardest thing I’ve ever been through, my whole world flipped upside down.
“At the age of 15 the pain of losing my mum was an enormous struggle and things could have gone a different way in dealing with that pain but I couldn’t allow it to happen.
“She was the best, most caring, resilient and bravest woman I’ve ever met and I had to make her passing mean something more than another sad story. So that has become my purpose.
“I watched her battle cancer twice before it robbed her of her ability to walk and eventually it took her life.
“Seeing mum struggle daily and witnessing the bravery she had to fight such a horrific disease is what has given me the drive and determination I have for life to this day.”
Conor has raised more than £9000 so far, nearly double his initial £5k target.
