Glasgow dad running West Highland Way in memory of son

Glasgow Times

18-06-2025

The 38-year-old dad originally from Yoker will run the West Highland Way nonstop in memory of his stillborn son Marco, who would have been 10 this year.
He's competing in the West Highland Way Race, one of the world's longest-established ultra-marathons, first held in 1985.
It'll see him battle rough terrain and rise over 14,000 feet as he attempts to run the long-distance trail between Milngavie (just north of Glasgow) and Fort William in the Scottish Highlands.
Mark will set off at 1am this Saturday, June 21, alongside 300 other rave ultra runners.
Mark says he'll crawl across the line if he has to (Image: Gordon Terris)
READ MORE: 8 of the best decorated cabs at Glasgow Taxi Outing Fund day out to Troon
Mark is running the race to raise money for The Stillbirth and Neonatal Death Charity (Sands), a cause close to his heart.
He said: "Unfortunately, 10 years ago, we lost our first son Marco.
"On his due date, so full term, and Sands are such a great charity.
"I'm trying to spread awareness of what they do, which is the reason behind everything I've been doing.
"Over the last 10 years, I've just passed the £25,000 mark raised for Sands and Marco's memory."
His previous challenges include running three laps of a Tough Mudder course, so he's no stranger to pushing himself.
Mark, who now lives in Kelvindale, last attempted the route solo in 2023, but had to stop at the 71-mile mark due to an injury.
He explained: "In 2023, I attempted the West Highland Way solo.
"I sprained my ankle 67 miles in and had to hobble 71 miles to get collected.
"I'd raised some more money for charity, just over £10,000 I raised that time."
"That put me at a really low point because obviously I'd failed in my challenge.
"But everybody reminded me, 'Well, you've not failed because your ultimate goal was to spread awareness and raise money for a charity, which you did.'
"When I get to Glen Coe and leave Glen Coe, that'll be me going into uncharted territory because that's 71 miles in.
"That's the furthest I've ever been before on a single run.
"I think then I'll start believing at that point that it's there, the finish line's there.
"I'm just looking forward to seeing the family at the end. That's what it's going to be all about."
READ MORE: 'Goodbye for now': Popular West End pub announces temporary closure
Mark hopes to cross the finish line in a time of around 25 hours, with a cut off on the race of 35 hours, to which he told me with a determined stare, "If I need to crawl to the finishing line, I'll be making it to the finish line.
His family has been heavily involved in his training. He's been running with his sons Tino, Vito, Enzo, and Remo, and has had support from his wife Lisa.
Mark said: "It's a point to prove, my family's invested a lot of time into this.
"A training week for me is maybe 10 to 15 hours worth of actual running time.
"I want to prove to everybody that I can manage this and repay people's generosity."
(Image: Gordon Terris)
READ MORE: 'Glasgow deserves better': Heritage groups slam approval of O2 ABC site plans
Mark's focus, in addition to raising money for the charity, is to spread awareness and encourage people to open up about the 'taboo' subject.
He said: "I've spoken to a lot of people over the years, and you often run into this kind of thing in everyday conversations – someone says, 'Oh, how many kids have you got?' and I'll say, 'I've got five boys – one of them passed away.' It can become quite a conversation killer."
"People don't know what to say to other people when it's happened to them. Even when it happened to us. When we lost Marco, nobody knew what to say...
"The one thing I wanted to know was that people are there, talking about it and saying my son's name.
"People who have lost a child need to know they've still had a child, they're still a mom, they're still a dad. And that's really one of the focuses of my story and my mission."
READ MORE: Council speaks out over primary school's union flag letter
Mark will have a support crew of family and friends, and his 'partner in crime', best friend Ryan, will join him for some miles later in the race as a boost.
Mark's employer, Brikability, is matching donations up to £3,000, which will massively boost his fundraising efforts.
Most of the funding to the charity will go towards supporting parents and counselling groups, as well as memory boxes for families who have lost their baby.
You can read more about Mark's efforts and donate at bit.ly/4ldSxKS