Shaun Ennis, a father of three from Clydebank, is running 12 marathons in 12 days to honour his brother Christopher, who died by suicide in 2023 at the age of 35. The challenge covers 312 miles across Scotland and aims to raise funds for Scottish Action For Mental Health (SAMH).
Route and motivation
The run begins in Inverness on October 26, then moves through Aberdeen, Dundee, Perth, Stirling, Dunfermline and Edinburgh before finishing in Glasgow 12 days later. Ennis will also complete 26-mile runs through Argyll and Bute, East Renfrewshire, West Dunbartonshire and East Dunbartonshire.
Speaking about his brother, Ennis said: "I can't get Christopher out of my head. I think about him every minute of the day." He added: "I constantly ask myself, 'Should I have listened more, should I have done this, or said that? What could I have done to make a difference? Could I have fixed it?'"
Training and family impact
Ennis has maintained a demanding training schedule, running 80 to 90 miles weekly for five years. He said: "Christopher has motivated me to do this, and I will, even if I crawl at the end." The loss also affected the wider family, as he noted: "You question your own mind and you question your own decisions in life. A lot of people in Scotland are suffering with poor mental health."
Christopher worked as an engineer in Glasgow, and the brothers were known in the city's boxing scene, organising matches and charity fundraisers. Ennis previously ran 465 miles from London to Glasgow, raising £20,000 for Children In Need last year.
Encouraging open conversation
Ennis hopes the challenge will encourage more men to speak openly about mental health. He said: "I want to try to help people understand that help for mental health is there. There are people there to help at the end of a phone." He added: "Christopher would be laughing at me for doing something as tough as this, but at the same time I think he would be proud. I'm doing it for him, and to hopefully help people who are going through what he did."
