Polar doctor urges all to go running

A DOCTOR who is taking on a gruelling marathon over snow and ice at the North Pole is encouraging other Scots to get active this Easter.

Dr Andrew Murray, who is Scotland’s physical activity champion, will be one of 40 competitors taking on the challenge of the North Pole marathon today.

He will be running 26.2 miles in the High Arctic, in temperatures that could drop below minus 30C.

Dr Murray, who was fourth in the 2007 North Pole Marathon and who completed an epic 3,000-mile run from John O’Groats to the Sahara Desert in Morocco last year, said the event was “the experience of a lifetime”.

And he urged others to “get active” over the Easter break.

The Scot, who will also act as race doctor at the North Pole Marathon, said: “Getting active and staying active is such an important message, we are taking it to the ends of the Earth.

“The North Pole Marathon is an experience of a lifetime. What the race encapsulates is the sheer determination of everyone to succeed.

“Remember that everything counts – any form of activity 30 minutes a day will help massively. I urge everyone to get active over the Easter break.”