Two friends from South Lanarkshire are hoping their mammoth fundraising run will help other men share their struggles.
Pals David Hamilton and David Cairney have set themselves the challenge of running 100 miles in less than 24 hours to raise funds for the venue which brought them together.
The pair met at an event on Tinto Hill held by Hamilton's Bravehearts Boxing Gym and now jog together three or four times a week.
They realised that their stories were similar and both had reached a point where they didn't want to live anymore, but through running they've transformed their lives.
David Hamilton, 39, told Glasgow Live: "I hit rock bottom.
"I felt like there was nowhere to turn. I was drinking heavily, abusing substances, my marriage had broken up, we were selling the family home.
"I had been ill for a long-time. The bravado behind men's mental health meant I didn't want to admit anything was wrong.
"It's something you need to live through to understand. I destroyed relationships with family and friends, my head was just wasted. After that day I decided big changes had to be made.
"I contacted Steven McMillan at Bravehearts Boxing Gym in Hamilton and in October 2020 I started going to boxing classes.
"I had a daily routine to take my mind somewhere else. Before I was basically coming home from work and drinking, the dark hole, just got darker.
"Through that I met my best friend. I asked David if I could join him running. We were out pounding the streets for hours and just talking to each other."
The pair have gone on to complete a slew of massive challenges including marathons, triathlons and makeshift Ironman races.
The 39-year-old now hopes their next big test can help others break the stigma of men's mental health.
The keen-runner said: "David and I wanted to do something we've never done before and break a barrier and do something that no one we knew had done.
"The original plan was to run 100 miles up the West Highland Way but the terrain is a bit dangerous, so we are running from Hamilton to Tarbet and back.
"We've had plenty of support from all the gym members. Raising money for the gym is great but it's about getting the message out there. For others to know there are people who fought their way through it, that there is big potential in everyone going through dark times."
David believes the man he was before, who thought about taking his own life, would never believe what he has gone on to achieve.
He said: "I was heavily overweight, I had no confidence whatsoever.
"I was a broken man. But I now believe you can live many lives within your life. Looking back now I don't think I wanted to die, I just didn't want the life I had. I was dead for so many years.
"Sometimes I need to take a breath and realise what I've done now, it has been surreal. During those dark years my greatest achievement was getting to work on a Monday morning and now I'm a marathon runner, century cyclist, triathlete."
His pal David Cairney also entered a dark period in his life in 2019 when his mother passed away.
The 34-year-old explained: "I lost my mum four years ago and I was struggling massively. I was drinking a lot, virtually every weekend. I found out four weeks after she passed that I was going to have a baby which threw me.
"I went to counselling, sat in groups and phoned the Samaritans just to get help, I was in such a bad place. It was a year after that I turned a corner.
"I didn't want to live. I didn't want to have a child because I wanted to be with my mum. Living on this earth wasn't for me after I lost my mum.
"She was only 54 when she passed away and I had just turned 30. I was just becoming an adult and then boom the biggest part of my heart was gone.
"I started doing challenges through the Braveheart Boxing Gym. I started doing things for myself. It was a year after that I met David and we clicked.
"Due to how low we both were, we started to create this bond and it grew and grew."
Not only does he believe that the encounter with his best pal is what set him on the right path, but David is adamant that without his partner of 16 years he wouldn't be where he is today.P
The man from Blantyre said: "She always said it will get easier. The turning point was when I started to exercise more and realised there is more to life out there.
"When I started to speak about my problem that was a big moment for me."
The forklift driver began to realise that opening up to his pal about how he was feeling emotionally was lifting a huge weight off his shoulders.
He firmly believes that sharing your experience with someone who has also gone through dark times is extremely beneficial.
David said: "We both realised that we can speak out.
"He has a wee boy and I have a wee girl that should have been enough but it wasn't at the time, me and his friendship was enough to help us through.
"We could talk about how bad a place we were in. We are doing this run to raise more awareness and help others speak out."
The fundraiser never thought he would be able to run 100 miles or complete Ironman challenges but from the moment he shared his story with others he has gone on to achieve the unthinkable.
He said: "I used to do running at school and struggle in cross-country.
"I feel like Forrest Gump now, I can keep running until the world ends. The man who was drinking and grieving could never have done any of this.
"The biggest thing that I did was reaching out."
To donate click here and to follow the pair's journey follow their Instagram page here
