Roscommon man wins silver in 'Race Across Scotland'
Tulsk man Ed Payne
A Roscommon man has completed a 220 mile race across the width of Scotland in 61 hours and eight minutes.
Well known endurance athlete and Tulsk man, Ed Payne came second out of approximately 140 athletes in this grueling, elite ultra race. Incredibly, this is just two weeks after finishing 2nd in the inaugural Famine Way Ultra race from Strokestown to Dublin.
Speaking to the Herald, Ed waved away any compliments, saying he was very grateful to be able to get out running.
“Ah sure, it will grow back as they say,” he replied when asked how the body was. “A few blisters but not too bad.” The race began at 6 am on Saturday morning and he finished at 6pm Monday evening, in what was a very hilly but beautiful trail course. It started at Portpatrick on the South West coast and finished on Cockburnspath on the North Sea coast.
He explained that he slept for a total of one hour during the race in four 15 minute blocks.
“It finished this morning and there were 91 finishers out of the 140 that started,” the farmer said, thanking his cousin and friend who were in the support car during the race.
“Only for them,” he said recalling some of the steep hills. “There were one or two hills it was easier eat the grass than pluck it. They were savage.”
Ed is taking a well earned break now but the next run may not be too far away.
