11:27 am, June 19, 2024
A senior Nissan executive has raised more than £2,000 for charity by tackling a gruelling endurance run of more than 100 miles.
Atul Shahane, regional network development manager for Nissan in the UK, completed the Ultra Scotland 100 earlier this month with the aim of raising £800 for The Richard Whitehead Foundation.
The target was actually exceeded well in advance of the event, and donations are continuing to pour in.
Shahane has taken part in a number of marathons and endurance runs over the years, and he said: ‘Having most recently completed the Glasgow-to-Edinburgh Ultra in October 2023 – a distance of 57 miles – I wanted to challenge myself again.
‘The Ultra Scotland 100 seemed perfect – quite a target, given the unpredictable Scottish weather!
‘I am super-thrilled that I managed to complete the course – actually a distance of 111 miles, according to [physical exercise tracker] Strava.’
Whitehead – Nissan’s diversity, equity and inclusion ambassador, who was made an MBE in 2013 for services to athletics – is a four-time 200m world champion as well as a gold and silver medal-winning Paralympian.
He’s also a marathon and half-marathon world record holder, and races with the aid of prosthetic running legs.
Nissan has been working for a number of years with his foundation, which aims ‘to identify and remove the barriers disabled people face in accessing sport and physical activity’.
The Ultra Scotland 100 follows one of the country’s great trails – the breathtaking Southern Upland Way, which takes in spectacular forests, valleys and mountains, encompassing varying terrains.
Shahane added: ‘I would like to thank everyone who has supported my cause. Special thanks go to Nissan GB, Richard Whitehead, my friends, colleagues, family and co-runners for being with me on this incredible journey.’
Anyone wanting to sponsor Shahane can do so here.
