A DETERMINED county runner has completed a gruelling 10-hour run to raise money for charity.

Gavin Lawson took on a section of the John Muir Way to raise money for TEEN Challenge Scotland.

Fifty-five-year-old Gavin, who is a church worker with the North Berwick Christian Fellowship, told the Courier that he had decided to try to do his bit after hearing about the charity.

Gavin said: “I do a lot of running and I enjoy running anyway.

“I thought if I can have a go at this run it might generate a bit of interest around the church and community to raise a bit of money.”

The Port Seton resident set off from Musselburgh Harbour at about 6am on the day of the run last month before heading east.

The run took him along the John Muir Way – which links famous conservationist Muir’s hometown of Dunbar with Helensburgh on the west coast – towards North Berwick and onto East Linton.

From there, he carried on to Dunbar and then on to Barns Ness Lighthouse.

“Then it was down to Dunglass where I finished,” he said.

“It took me 10 hours and 19 minutes.

“It is fair to say I was rather sore and my legs were cramping.

“I felt 105 rather than 55 but I’m pleased that I managed to complete the event in a reasonably satisfying time.”

Joining him on the journey was friend Dougie West, who drove 60 miles and was on hand to provide Gavin with food and water along the way.

Gavin said he was a keen runner, although the distance covered on the day had taken it out of him.

He added: “I don’t do that type of distance, I generally run around bits of Port Seton to North Berwick and back, which is about 30 miles.

“I’ll do that once a fortnight or something but I tend to run six miles up to 30.”

TEEN Challenge Scotland is a charity which attempts to help young people who have developed life-controlling problems such as drug and alcohol addictions, has a women’s residential centre near Fraserburgh.

The centre, which allows mothers to continue living with their children while they complete the addiction recovery programme, is currently rented.

The purchase of the property, however, would mean that the charity could continue to provide hurting women with residential support on a permanent basis.

Already, the charity has collected more than £424,000 of the £535,000 required to buy the property.

Gavin will add to that figure, with more than £400 collected and more to come in.

He added: “It caught my attention, I’ve worked previously in the area of homelessness and rehabilitation and I’ve experienced homelessness myself 20 something years ago.

“I understand some of the struggles.”

To make a donation, go to www.everyclick.com/johnmuirway4ben aiah