Ultra-marathon champion dies while running Cape Wrath trail

A 35-year-old ultra-marathon champion from Dumfries has died while running in the Highlands.

David Parrish was trying to beat the record for the fastest man to complete the Cape Wrath trail, a 234 mile (376km) route from Fort William to Cape Wrath.

The former Royal Marine was found in the remote mountainous area of Kintail in the north-west Highlands on Saturday.

Police Scotland said he was found in the area at about 22:25. "There are no suspicious circumstances and his next of kin are aware," a statement added.

Parrish was an experienced ultra-marathon runner and won the Cape Wrath Trail race in 2023, despite only running competitively for a few years.

The trail, which covers Lochaber, Knoydart, Applecross and Torridon is considered one of the most challenging routes in the UK.

For his latest challenge, Parrish was running the route to fundraise for Scottish Mountain Rescue in memory of his close friend, Luke Ireland.

The 20-year-old Royal Marine, from Monifeith, died while running in the mountains of Glen Cova in Angus in November 2014.

Writing on his fundraising page, Parrish said mountain rescue team volunteers searched tirelessly for Luke and were available ''365 days a year to respond to emergencies in the mountains and remote areas of Scotland''.

Thousands of pounds have been raised on the charity page, with many tributes made to the runner.

Parrish was a member of the Dumfries Running Club, where he was club champion in 2022.

He began running in his late teens before building up to racing in his early 20s, taking part in a series of local 5km and 10km races.

Parrish later joined the marines and previously spoke of using running as a way of decompressing from the demands of the job.

After leaving the service, he began competing in Parkruns and walked the Cape Wrath Trail in 2021.

Parrish was photographed running the 2023 Cape Wrath event by No Limits Photography.

The company's owners, Harriet D'Alessio and Christiaan Le Roux, paid tribute to him on Tuesday.

"David has always been such a joyful person and an inspirational ultra marathon athlete to spend time with," they said.

"The world and the sport will be a far lesser place without him.''