Midlothian man taking on four races in one weekend for incredible reason

A Midlothian man is taking on the gruelling challenge of four races in one weekend, including the Edinburgh Marathon, raising funds for a cause close to his heart.

Robert Cole will run a 5k and a 10k on Saturday, before tackling the Edinburgh Marathon on Sunday - but not before finishing a half-marathon before that.

Speaking to the Daily Record, he said: "I’ve ran a few marathons before raising money for different charities such as CLASP and CHAS. I’ve raised over £20,000 for different charities over the last five years."

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Wishaw-based charity Chris’s House is a cause that is close to Rab’s heart. He is running to raise money in memory of his brother-in-law David Devennie, and two of his friends.

David, a promising footballer who had previously played for Heart of Midlothian FC’s Under-18s, took his own life in 2002, when he was only 22 years old. And Rab also lost two of his pals to suicide, in 2011 and 2022.

He continued: “My mate’s Mrs used their services and another friend’s mother helps run Chris’s House in Dalkeith.

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“I was on the Walk of Hope last week in Glasgow and I’ve done a few runs for Chris’s House before, but this is going to be the hardest challenge I’ve done, doing four runs.

“I’m doing the 10k on Saturday morning that starts at 9am then the 5k at 11am. Then on Sunday the half-marathon starts at 8am and I think I can run it in about an hour and 40 minutes.

“Then I need to get back to the start line for the full marathon which starts at 10am, the half-marathon finishes at Pinkie Playing Fields, at Musselburgh.”

The 46-year-old will be hard pushed to get back to the start line as it’s at least a 20-minute drive away.

He continued: “I’m hoping that someone with a motorbike will help me out with transport as it’s going to be tight and I think they start taking the start points away about 10.30am as everyone gets through.

“I’ve not got any transport yet.”

Rab, who is from Danderhall near Dalkeith, where Chris’s House have a second centre, added: “I always try and give a talk every time I do a run, encouraging people to get help if they are struggling.

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“The three people close to me that I’ve lost – to look at them at the time you wouldn’t have thought any of them would have done that.

“Chris’s House is hugely known in the Glasgow area and also known round about the Dalkeith area. I work in Edinburgh where not as many people are aware of it, so and I’m trying to raise the profile there.”

Rab’s online fundraising page can be found here.