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'Joyful and Inspirational' Ultra-Marathon Runner Dies While Trying to Beat Record in Honor of Late Friend
TL;DR
Ultra-marathon runner David Parrish died on April 11 while attempting to break a record on the Cape Wrath Trail in memory of a late friend. He was 35 years old and was raising funds for Scottish Mountain Rescue.
David Parrish
Credit: David Parrish/Facebook
NEED TO KNOW
- Ultra-marathon runner David Parrish has died while racing along the Cape Wrath Trail in memory of his late friend who died while running in 2014
- The 35-year-old was found dead on Saturday, April 11 in Kintail, a mountainous area in the Scottish Highlands
- He was raising money for Scottish Mountain Rescue by aiming to break the record for the fastest time to complete the trail
An ultra-marathon champion has died in the Scottish Highlands while running in memory of his late friend.
David Parrish, 35, was aiming to beat the record for the fastest person to complete the 234-mile Cape Wrath Trail, which goes from the town of Fort William to Cape Wrath along Scotland's northern coast, the BBC and The Guardian reported.
Parrish was found in Kintail, a remote mountainous area, on Saturday, April 11. Police Scotland said he was found at about 10:25 p.m. local time. They added in a statement to the BBC that "there are no suspicious circumstances and his next of kin are aware."
David Parrish seen running
Credit: David Parrish/Facebook
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A former Royal Marine from the Scottish town of Dumfries, Parrish was an experienced ultra-marathon runner and won the Cape Wrath Trail race in 2023.
The record, however, is held by Pawel Cymbalista, who completed the trail that same year in three days, 14 hours, 49 minutes and 19 seconds, the BBC reported at the time.
The trail is often considered one of the most challenging routes in the U.K. According to Alex Roddie, a mountaineer and writer, hazards include river crossings and severe weather.
The Kintail region of Scotland along the Cape Wrath Trail
Credit: Arterra/Universal Images Group via Getty
In 2025, a 76-year-old man got lost along the trail for eight days, before being found by a local landowner and a group of deer hunters.
Parrish was running the route to raise money for Scottish Mountain Rescue in memory of his close friend, Luke Ireland, who died at age 20 while running in Scotland in November 2014, per the BBC.
As of Wednesday, April 15, over £13,000 (roughly $15,300) has been raised on Parrish's JustGiving page, with donations continuing to be received in tribute to both himself and Ireland.
Cymbalista paid tribute on the page, too, writing, "Having run the Cape Wrath Trail and holding the current record, I know how rare and demanding David's challenge was. He aimed to beat my time, and I fully supported him. Donating in his honour. RIP."
The owners of the photography company No Limits Photography, which captured Parrish running the trail in 2023, also paid tribute to him.
"David has always been such a joyful person and an inspirational ultra marathon athlete to spend time with," Harriet D'Alessio and Christiaan Le Roux said, via the BBC. "The world and the sport will be a far lesser place without him.''
Read the original article on People
Q&A
What happened to ultra-marathon runner David Parrish?
David Parrish died while racing on the Cape Wrath Trail in the Scottish Highlands.
Why was David Parrish running the Cape Wrath Trail?
He was running to honor his late friend and aimed to break the record for the fastest time on the trail.
How old was David Parrish when he died?
David Parrish was 35 years old at the time of his death.
What cause was David Parrish raising money for?
He was raising money for Scottish Mountain Rescue during his record attempt.
