THE Proclaimers may have walked 500 miles but local hero Greg Lee is set to run two miles more in a bid to help sufferers of Motor Neurone Disease.

Over the next two years, the Neilston man will carry out a series of non-stop runs, totalling 502 miles, across some of Scotland’s toughest terrain to fund vital research into the fatal condition, which affects the nervous system.

Greg’s inspiration is not The Proclaimers’ classic hit I’m Gonna Be (500 miles) but his wife Rebecca’s grandmother, Mary McKee.

Mary has lost 14 family members to Motor Neurone Disease (MND) over the last 30 years, including her dad, two brothers, an uncle and a nephew.

During that time, she has raised hundreds of thousands of pounds for the MND Scotland charity.

Greg’s endurance runs of between 65 and 100 miles will involve going up to 36 hours without sleep, with his only stops for toilet breaks.

However, he expects to get plenty of practice of sleep deprivation following the birth of his son Murray 11 weeks ago.

Greg, 33, told the Barrhead News: “Mary turned 90 this year and I’d like to use my passion for running to raise funds for MND Scotland, which supports those suffering from a disease she has been so affected by.

“Over the next two years, I will aim to run six of Scotland’s best-known long-distance walks, with a time limit of 24 to 36 hours to complete.

“I will have a four-man supporting team who will be running with me and assisting with water and food.

“I will be on the move all the time and the only stop will be to use the toilet but I expect loo breaks to be few and far between because of the amount of calories I’ll be using up.”

Greg, who is a manager for an underfloor heating company, got the multi-marathon idea while on furlough from work and discovered he could manage up to 48 miles in one day.

The first leg of his challenge will be in October, when he aims to complete the 65-mile Arran Coastal Way in under 24 hours.

His final big run will be the 100-mile Kintyre Way in July 2022, which he hopes to finish in 36 hours.

In between, he will run the West Highland Way, Speyside Way, Skye Trail and Great Glen Way, between Fort William and Inverness.

Greg has been told to take breaks of up to six months between runs to allow his body to recover.

He added: “I’ve been very fortunate not to have lost any of my loved ones to anything other than natural causes. My wife’s family, however, has seen multiple members die from Motor Neurone Disease and I have witnessed the compassion that MND Scotland show them.

“Mary has been massively inspirational to me through her fundraising over the last 30 years and I would now like to play my own part.”

Anyone who would like to support the fundraising drive should visit www.justgiving.com and search for ‘I would run 500 miles for MND.’