If you have been out walking in Scotland in June and passed by a sprinting figure, soaked in sweat and sporting a neon pink moustache, do not be alarmed. You may have just caught sight of Scotland's 'Teuchest Laddie' in the midst of a record-breaking charity challenge.
Chris Thomson, a 34-year-old farmer’s son from New Galloway, is currently making his way through the Scottish landscape, running 32 ultra-marathons in 32 days across all 32 council areas of Scotland.
Formerly a London-based tech salesman, Thomson is now a self-proclaimed "nutter" who's traded in sales meetings for sweat-soaked runs and a vibrant pink moustache.
After leaving his job in March, Thomson embarked on this audacious challenge on the 5th of June in his home council of Dumfries and Galloway and, all going to plan, will finish on the 6th of July in Edinburgh – with the finish line set for Edinburgh Castle.
Most people hear the word ‘ultramarathon’ and wonder why anyone would put themselves through such hardship – around 32 miles of gruelling running.
However, Chris is doing 32 of them in 32 days with a smile on his face to raise money for seven charities close to his heart.
From cancer centres to mental health initiatives, each cause has touched Thomson's life in some way.
The journey is more than just a test of physical endurance. It's a tribute to a close friend, Hamish, who took his own life two years ago, which sent Chris into a spiral and he has faced his own struggles since.
Speaking about that time, Chris said: “It was just horrendous, if I'm honest, and sort of put me in a bit of a spiral, bit of depression, bit of anxiety, but more importantly just made me wake up and go ‘I'm in my 30s now, what I'm doing, am I actually enjoying it, yeah the money's good, and the lifestyle's pretty good in that sense, but is that that important to me’.
“The taking of the life was sort of the trigger point for me to go, ‘come on man, you've only got one life, you've only got one shot, there's no reruns here’, and that's kind of the message that I'm trying to get out there, is that I know it's tough, but I got myself out of what I was doing and I'm now following my passion and all of the depression and anxiety and stuff like that has completely gone.”
Thomson’s journey is not just about running; it’s a testament to resilience, determination, and a pink moustache. His distinct facial hair, dyed in honour of cancer charities, has become, much like him a bright colourful beacon of hope in the dreary Scottish weather. His unique style and vibrant personality have helped him amass a growing following of nearly 50,000 on social media.
Now, he's running to raise awareness about mental health and support seven charities close to his heart, including Maggie's Cancer Centre, which cared for his mother.
Originally from New Galloway, Thomson's accent has watered down after years of living in London. But as he travels through Scotland, he picks up the local twang, joking that he'll have "32 accents over the next 32 days".
His journey hasn't been without its challenges. Thomson's battle against the elements has been a significant hurdle, with the Scottish weather offering up a consistent mix of wind, rain, and sleet – he picked June for the challenge in the hope of some nice weather...
Chris had a ‘near death experience’ while running through the island’s earlier in his challenge, he explained: “Just classic Scotland really, with the weather, I had a near-death experience in Shetland in terms of hypothermia and all those joys, so I've gone to wind and rain I've never felt in my life, even though I'm from the West Coast!
“I'm from Dumfries, and I've run into some pretty horrendous things, so I don't mind it, it's just, it would be nice to have a bit of sun.”
We joke and compare him to ‘The Hardest Geezer’, Russ Cook, the first person to run the length of Africa, while having a laugh at the fact that Russ didn’t have to compete with the Scottish weather.
If Russ is labelled ‘The Hardest Geezer’ then I think that Chris is earning himself the title of Scotland’s ‘Teuchest Laddie’.
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Thomson remains undeterred, even promising to run the remainder of his ultra-marathons in a kilt if he reaches 100,000 followers on Instagram.
Although taking on this momentous challenge, Chris wouldn’t consider himself a ‘serious’ runner, but has always been into sports having spent twenty years on rugby pitches. He says modestly: “I wouldn't say I'm in any way a seasoned runner at all, yeah, I've done some interesting stuff in the past, and I've got a few miles under the belt, but this is absolutely killing me, if I'm honest, it's tough going.
“The first day took me about 7 hours, but since the hills and the battering of weathers, it's now taking me about 10 hours on average, so it's tough going.”
He ran through Glasgow at the weekend and took to social media to share the emotional weight he was feeling being so close to where Hamish was from.
The final leg of the challenge is set to be emotional also, with Chris set to stop at the cancer centre which looked after his mum and his late aunt, he explained: “One of the charities I'm doing it for looked after my mum, it was Maggie's Cancer Centre, and my auntie, who unfortunately didn't survive, so I'm going to basically sort of half stop at Maggie's Cancer Centre in the Western General on the last day.”
I’ve got to keep going, trucking along and fighting through the pain
Chris’s mum has been his support team, following him with the car and providing vital water and nutrition. He has also been joined by friends, some of which the charities are for, and strangers he has invited via social media.
As Thomson continues his 32-day odyssey, every step, every mile, and every council area brings him closer to his goal. The rain, hail, and sleet may be relentless, but so is his determination. This is one man who is literally going the extra mile to make a difference, one ultra-marathon at a time.
Thompson's journey is a testament to the human spirit, a reminder of what we can achieve when we put our minds to it. It's an inspiring, and even slightly mad tale of resilience and remembrance.
As we finish chatting, Chris starts to get ready for another day of running, signing off humbly with: “I’ve got to keep going, trucking along and fighting through the pain is the least I can do.”
Follow Chris’s journey and find out more about his challenge on his Instagram page @tourdethomo
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