Teenage runner conquers Ben Nevis five times in 24 hours

Charity runner Cameron Main from Elgin has scored a ‘high five’ running up and down Ben Nevis as many times as he could in 24 hours.

Cameron, 18, a sports science student at Stirling University, took up the challenge to raise funds for the Abbie’s Sparkle Foundation, a charity set up in memory of his sister Abbie who died of cancer on Christmas day last year aged just 15.

Abbie had planned to establish the foundation herself to help other young people in her situation so Cameron, together with mum Tammy and dad Russell, made sure it would happen with Cameron choosing the Ben Nevis Challenge.

Setting off in the sunshine at around 1.30pm on Saturday, flanked by a number of his friends, he averaged around two hours 30 minutes for the first four of the complete runs up and down.

However, in the early hours of Sunday morning, the summit became a complete snowy whiteout, with Cameron and company spending three hours in the mountain top shelter waiting for it to clear enough for a safe descent. He successfully completed his fifth run at around 9.30am arriving back at the Ben

Nevis Inn base.

However, with 95 mile anhour-gusts forecast, along with torrential rain he and his team opted to call it a day with four hours remaining, rather than risk the safety of himself and those accompanying him.

Fort William man Charlie Anderson, who currently holds the record with six ascents and descents of the Ben in 24 hours, which he set in 2006, met with Cameron just over a month ago to give him some tips and was on the hill for the duration of Cameron’s challenge.

Charlie said: ‘I went up with him for his first run and stayed on the hill to encourage him and run a short bit of the way beside him each time. As the day went on the weather just got worse and I went through the three changes of dry clothes I had taken with me.

‘Cameron was brilliant and showed tremendous determination, but did absolutely the right thing in stopping when the weather became too dangerous. Five times in 24 hours is an incredible achievement for anyone.’

Cameron commented: ‘I am delighted to have made it a ‘high five’ and not at all disappointed not to make it more. I had hoped to go for six, or even seven, but the conditions were just too bad to go up again.

‘So far I have raised £5,500 on the fund raising page for Abbie’s Sparkle Foundation and that’s the main thing. I would like to thank everyone for their fantastic support through this. Without them, I would have found the going much harder.’

Mum Tammy added: ‘I am so proud of him for all the effort he has put into preparing for this and what he has achieved in less than 24 hours. He only took very short breaks in between each run and we had hot soup ready for him. What a star.’

Photographs: Iain Ferguson, The Write Image. A high fIve from Cameron Main, left, after his five successful conquests of Ben Nevis in less than a day, which raised £5,500 in memory of his sister. He is pictured with record holder Charlie Anderson of Fort William.

Cameron Main and his mum Tammy at the start of his Ben challenge.

Cameron Main at the start of his Ben Nevis challenge.

Cameron Main - five conquests of Ben Nevis in less than a day and £5,500 raised in memory of his sister.