Taylor Carlile running for Dunbar Community Woodland

Taylor Carlile is taking on a gruelling challenge that will see him run four miles every four hours for 48 consecutive hours.

The 30-year-old stressed the importance of local outdoor areas in supporting the physical and mental health of people during lockdown and decided to try to raise £1,000 for the Dunbar Community Woodland Group, which manages Lochend Woods.

He said: “If I am going to put myself through something brutal and cause a bit of discomfort or pain, then somebody might as well get some benefit.

“I wanted to help somebody or raise awareness of something that might not have got it if I had not brought it to people’s attention.”

Mr Carlile, who runs Carlile Callisthenics and Fitness and also lives in Dunbar, is a regular visitor to the woodlands, in the Hallhill area of the town.

He said: “I use the woods quite a lot with the kids and, with lockdown and an inability to travel, you see a lot more people using it.

“When I was thinking about the challenge I was going to do and who to raise money for, I thought I would do it for the woods and help and support them.

“They support the community without asking for anything by maintaining the environment.”

Taylor will start the challenge at noon on February 26.

Taylor Carlile is gearing up a gruelling challenge

He will then run four miles every four hours for the next two days until he reaches the finish line.

The route of the run will depend on the time of day and weather conditions, with each run posted online through the Strava app.

Impressively, he has not ruled out adding in the required distance to take him to a double marathon – 54.4 miles.

Mr Carlile said: “Each run is four miles and a lot of people can run that.

“It is the impact, the sleep deprivation and it is going to be about the build-up and recovery.

“My aim is to pace myself relatively easily and run it between 30 and 40 minutes for the six kilometres, which gives me three hours and 20 minutes to recover before I go back out and do it again.”

Taylor has lived in the town for just over 10 years and started his business about a year ago.

Prior to that, he worked in retail but, after rupturing two discs in his back, he thought it was time to consider a change.

He said: “I had worked in retail for almost a decade and realised it was not for me, it was not my calling if you want to say that.”

Instead, he turned to fitness and helping improve his own health.

The challenge will see Taylor running in minimalist shoes, which allow him a greater connection with the surface below.

Eva Hurley, convenor of the woodland group’s management committee, described the money raised as “a godsend”.

The group relies on funding from grants, which can prove difficult to obtain for maintenance, and donations from members of the public.

There has been “a huge increase” in the number of people using the woodland during the coronavirus pandemic.

At the same time, recent weather has resulted in a number of trees becoming potentially dangerous and tree surgeons having to be brought in.

She said: “This is just a godsend at a time when we really do need the support.

“We are incredibly grateful for Taylor’s energy and initiative. It is just what we need now.”

To support Taylor and the woodland group, go to www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/dcwg4x4x48