RSPB officer runs rings around competition to raise money for local nature reserve

Last modified: 31 October 2012

Male pied flycatcher perching on branch — Image: Andy Holt

Local RSPB worker Mark Mitchell ran rings around the opposition as he took part in one of the toughest ultra running challenges in the country and raised over £600 for the RSPB Lochwinnoch nature reserve where he works as an Information Officer.

Mark completed the 50 mile fell run at the Montane Lakeland 50 Ultra Lake District Challenge as part of a team of four including other RSPB staff members from across the UK. Considered one of the toughest ultra running challenges, the difficulty of the course means that over half of the competitors fail to complete the full run.

Mark completed the run in 17 hours, 4 minutes and 11 seconds, even managing to spot some raven and pied flycatcher on his way. He said: “The work the RSPB does can be seen by all of us, no matter where you are in the UK. Whether it's chaffinches and bumblebees in your back garden, or otters and kingfisher down on your local river, the wildlife around us enriches our lives and it is something we should be working incredibly hard to conserve for future generations”

“My body is broken but more importantly we beat our fundraising target! The stunning views were truly inspiring and made it more bearable. The thought of all the people who supported me was the real thing that kept us going though. Thanks so much for all the support everyone. "

Paula Baker, Assistant Site Manager at RSPB Lochwinnoch, said: “The team here are delighted that Mark chose to fundraise for the RSPB during his run, and even more delighted with the fantastic sum of money he has managed to raise. He quite often cycled to the reserve from Glasgow during his training, which is no easy task.”

Mark has so far raised a massive £625.93 which will be going towards conservation at the RSPB Lochwinnoch Reserve.

If you would like to support Mark visit his JustGiving page http://www.justgiving.com/mark-mitchell3 Mark is now back at his post welcoming visitors to the reserve, if you want to see Lochwinnoch for yourself it is open evey day 10am – 5pm. More information can be found at http://www.rspb.org.uk/reserves/guide/l/lochwinnoch/