Meet Mark Calder (seen here with James outside Lairg Church at 7:30am today, Good Friday).

For most people just finishing a single marathon would be a challenge. But marathons aren’t enough for Mark, who lives in Aberdeenshire with his wife and two young daughters. No Mark runs ultra-marathons (which is like several run one after another).  But ultra-marathons aren’t enough either for this intrepid hero, he’s running 14 in one year … That’s superhuman!!

Mark is a Regional Manager for charity called Embrace the Middle East.  Embrace the Middle East is a Christian charity with over 160 years’ experience helping people of all faiths and none to free themselves from a life of poverty and injustice. Together with local Christian communities they’re bringing lasting change to the Middle East through healthcare, education and community development projects.

Under the name Running Home, Mark is running pilgrimage routes across Scotland and the North of England to raise money and awareness about the challenge that Iraq’s Christians face as they try to rebuild their country after war.

As Embrace starts supporting Christian-led projects in Iraq for the very first time Mark hopes as many people as possible will get behind him in this epic challenge.

From Maundy Thursday until Holy Saturday (18-20 April) Mark is running from Bettyhill to Poolewe along St Maelrubha’s Pilgrimage route, calling at the Crask Inn and the Christian Communities  dedicated to St Maelrubha in Lairg and Poolewe along the way.

… that’s just 113.5 miles, which isn’t far is it:-) Sadly James had another engagement and wasn’t able to join Mark on his Good Friday run from Lairg to Dundonnell, but was in Lairg at 7:30am to pray with him and see him on his way.

If you wish to help Mark’s fundraising efforts, you can do so via this page.

If you want to hear more, Mark will be speaking during the Service at Dornoch Cathedral on Easter Day at 6:30pm.