Dream double: Ultrarunner swaps two feet for two wheels ...and smashes two gruelling cycling records
Record-breaking runner hit by return of old injury dusts down his bike and breaks even more new ground
Record-breaking Scottish endurance athlete Donnie Campbell has swapped running mountains for cycling this year.
Last year, the 36-year-old ran a fastest time of 31 days and 23 hours for a non-stop round of the 282 highest mountains in Scotland known as the Munros.
Now he has cycled into the record books again with two impressive rides in Scotland.
In June, Donnie rode the Badger Divide, an off-road route from Glasgow to Inverness. He completed the 322km (200 miles) in 19 hours and 14 minutes – more than four hours faster than the previous quickest cyclist.
The following month, he pedalled from Glasgow to remote Cape Wrath in Sutherland. Donnie finished the 570km (354-mile) An Turas Mor route, including a total ascent six times the height of Ben Nevis, in just 33 hours and 31 minutes.
The previous Fastest Known Time (FKT) for the mostly off-road An Turas Mor was more than three days. Usually cyclists spend eight days riding the long-distance trail.
A spokesperson from the group that created An Turas Mor – which means “the longest ride” in Gaelic – said: “It’s an exceptional effort.”
Donnie, who lives with his wife Rachael in Inverness, has enjoyed the change in mode of transport. He said: “Cycling has been a new sport for me and it has opened the door to some great challenges this year. It feels like a welcome break from all the running of last year.”
The former Royal Marine, who grew up on the Isle of Skye, is no stranger to long-distance challenges. In Scotland, he set a winter record for a 90km (56-mile), 24-mountain Ramsay Round in 2016. The same year, he ran a record-breaking time for the 85km (53-mile) Highland Fling ultra distance race on the West Highland Way. He has also run more than 322km (200 miles) from Glasgow to Skye.
His Munro round was his most audacious challenge on foot. It was his debut round and, to set the record, he ran and “powerhiked” a total of 1,423km (884 miles) to reach the summits, cycling and kayaking in between.
Donnie’s switch from two feet to two wheels came about earlier this year due to an injury, although it has resulted in a welcome new hobby. He said: “I had been training to run the Cape Wrath Trail but there was a lot more flatter running than I was used to and an old injury in my lower back flared up. I decided to get on my bike to keep fit instead. That was when I started thinking about other goals. I’ve asked myself why I’m driven to do big challenges.
“I often wonder why I appear to be wired differently to others.”
His first attempt at cycling the An Turas Mor in May was thwarted by a broken wheel spoke just after setting out on the Kelvin Way from Glasgow. A quick change of plan overnight – and a new wheel – saw Donnie ride from Glasgow to Inverness on what he thought was an off-road route called the Badger Divide.
After finishing in less than 20 hours, he realised he had followed a race route that is similar but misses out a couple of rougher, hillier sections of the official Badger Divide, devised by Scottish mountain biker Stu Allan.
A few weeks later, he took to his bike again and set a new FKT on the right route. He said: “I had no idea there were two Badger Divide routes and unfortunately I picked the wrong one, probably because I was rushing. That first attempt was wet and mostly unenjoyable so I was happy to do it again on the official route.
“My Glasgow-to-home ride was always meant to be a fun adventure and I’m pleased I set a new fastest time.”
But the An Turas Mor route was still playing on his mind. Donnie said: “I’d long wanted to go to Cape Wrath and when I saw a good weather window a month later I just decided to give it a go.”
In mid-july, Donnie cycled north from Scotland’s largest city to the most north-westerly corner of mainland Britain. The An Turas Mor follows existing paths, trails and tracks – only 2% is on roads.
He said: “It was very enjoyable with great scenery and lots of wildlife, although I did suffer with vibration from my rigid gravel bike design on the rugged trail.
“I had a painful left hand and arm throughout and got saddle sore. The terrain was unforgiving at times.”
Donnie rode continuously on the route that passes through wild landscapes and crosses numerous mountain passes. He took only a 40-minute nap.
The weather was “the usual Scottish mix”. He said: “The conditions started off dry and warm. It got really hot as I cycled a long climb from Glen Lyon over to Kinloch Rannoch. Then it began to drizzle and rain on the Sunday morning. The wind was quite tough at times, too. It was mainly westerly – that meant I had a side wind most of the way and sometimes a headwind.”
The toughest section came towards the point at Cape Wrath Lighthouse. Donnie said: “Near Ben Hope there was a climb to a height of about 450 metres (1,476ft). The track was so rutted that I was forced to get off my bike to push. I was really fatigued by this point.
“Then I had to descend on a steep and rugged track and go along a boggy loch shore. I was walking more than cycling. The ride lost its sense of fun then and I just wanted to get to the end. It was a relief when I did.
I’m pleased I’ve finally done the An Turas Mor route because it has been my goal for this summer and I am really happy with the time.”
Donnie reckons cycling is easier than running. He said: “On a bike you are only working hard half the time because the other half you are freewheeling downhill. I still enjoy running – especially in the mountains – and I have some challenges planned.
“But because cycling is new to me I feel less pressure to perform as a cyclist because people know me for my running. I am really enjoying something different.”