Ultra-marathon champion dies while running Cape Wrath trail

David Parrish was trying to beat the record for the fastest man to complete the 234 mile trail. Ultra-marathon champion dies while running Cape Wrath Trail Copyright current_year BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking. Copyright current_year BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking. David Parrish died while running in the Highlands David Parrish a man with curly hair and a beard smiles into the camera with his dog leaning on his shoulder A 35-year-old ultra-marathon champion from Dumfries has died while running in the Highlands. David Parrish was trying to beat the record for the fastest man to complete the Cape Wrath trail, a 234 mile (376km) route from Fort William to Cape Wrath. The former Royal Marine was found in the remote mountainous area of Kintail in the north-west Highlands on Saturday. Police Scotland said he was found in the area at about 22:25. "There are no suspicious circumstances and his next of kin are aware," a statement added. Map showing locations of Fort William, Kintail and Cape Wrath Parrish was an experienced ultra-marathon runner and won the Cape Wrath Trail race in 2023, despite only running competitively for a few years. The trail, which covers Lochaber, Knoydart, Applecross and Torridon is considered one of the most challenging routes in the UK. For his latest challenge, Parrish was running the route to fundraise for Scottish Mountain Rescue in memory of his close friend, Luke Ireland. The 20-year-old Royal Marine, from Monifeith, died while running in the mountains of Glen Clova in Angus in November 2014. The 20-year-old Royal Marine, from Monifeith, died while running in the mountains of Glen Clova Parrish was an experienced ultra-marathon runner A runner finishing a race with a flag wrapped around his shoulders Writing on his fundraising page, Parrish said mountain rescue team volunteers searched tirelessly for Luke and were available ''365 days a year to respond to emergencies in the mountains and remote areas of Scotland''. Thousands of pounds have been raised on the charity page, with many tributes made to the runner. Parrish was a member of the Dumfries Running Club, where he was club champion in 2022. He began running in his late teens before building up to racing in his early 20s, taking part in a series of local 5km and 10km races. Parrish later joined the marines and previously spoke of using running as a way of decompressing from the demands of the job. Parrish was photographed on his way to winning the 2023 Cape Wrath ultra David Parrish in blue running gear in the hills. He is smiling. After leaving the service, he began competing in Parkruns and walked the Cape Wrath Trail in 2021. Parrish was photographed running the 2023 Cape Wrath event by No Limits Photography. The company's owners, Harriet D'Alessio and Christiaan Le Roux, paid tribute to him on Tuesday. "David has always been such a joyful person and an inspirational ultra marathon athlete to spend time with," they said. "The world and the sport will be a far lesser place without him.'' What stories would you like BBC News to cover from the south of Scotland? Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways: email:  dumfries@bbc.co.uk Tweet: @BBCSouthScot His employer, banking firm Barclays, said its thoughts were with everyone close to him at this "difficult time". "David was an extremely popular colleague who will be deeply missed," a statement added. "We are doing everything we can to support his family, friends and colleagues at Barclays as they come to terms with this devastating loss." Scottish Mountain Rescue said it was "deeply saddened" by his death during a fundraising challenge for the organisation. ''David was a generous, warm-hearted and inspiring member of our community, who had chosen to take on this challenge in memory of a close friend who lost their life while running in the hills," said a spokesperson. "David's dedication to honouring his friend's memory, while raising funds to support our service, truly moved us all. "His fundraising efforts will support our volunteer teams as they continue to respond to emergencies across Scotland's mountains, leaving a lasting legacy to both friends in the Scottish outdoors." Running organisation Ultra Scotland described him as an "absolute gentleman" who had continued to push the boundaries of what was possible while raising vital funds for causes close to his heart. 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