Bolton man and friend walk the Scottish coast in over a marathon a day

Ash Chauhan, 42, of Bolton, and Dale Walker, 43, of Leicester, set the lofty goal of walking Scotland’s 515-mile North Coast 500 (NC500) in less than two weeks.

For eight days, they have been walking or running about a marathon and a half a day (39 miles).

Often on dual carriageways.

Ash said: “We’ve been out on the road between 12 and 13 hours a day.

“It’s been very challenging.”

Other than that, they have been camping in tents and hotels.

Ash Chauhan and Dale Walker (Image: Kelly Hanks)

Ash and Dale, who are work colleagues at Next, started their journey on September 1.

Three days later, they needed to visit the A&E.

Dale had fractured his foot, and Ash had an inflamed tendon.

Ash said: “We were told by the hospital not to carry on, but we did.

“We started by walking and running, but when we picked up the injuries, we had to walk the rest of the way.”

For two days they rested and were back on their journey, determined to round the coast to Inverness by September 13.

Ash said: “We were tired, our bodies were really aching.

“And the weather hadn’t helped.

“We had two days of sun so far and the rest had been wind and rain.”

Yet, the journey had been fun.

Ash said: “Scotland has been absolutely beautiful.

“There’s lots of beaches, the views are incredible, we’ve never seen so much nature anywhere.

“I’d recommend this route to anybody.”

Together, Ash and Dale have walked and run 260m of Scottish coast.

And the men, at Ard Charnock on their way to Drumcork, have six days to go.

And they have become closer along the way.

Ash said: “When we started, we thought why not test ourselves and see what we can achieve.

“It’s something we’ve never done, to push ourselves to this limit.

“Dale and I have got to know each other a lot better, we’re like besties now.”

Dale Walker and Ash Chauhan (Image: Kelly Hanks)

And they have enjoyed parts of the journey they didn’t expect.

Ash said: “We thought we’d hate camping but it’s quite good.

“We don’t really watch television. We sit and socialise more. It’s quite nice.”

Dale said: “It’s been an amazing experience.

“The injuries have been hard to deal with and we probably underestimated the challenges a bit.

“But the best part has been the sense of achievement we get at the end of the day.”

And Ash’s partner Kelly Hanks, and colleague Sophie Cartledge have been on hand to help on the journey.

Ash said: “They have been building and dismantling the tents for us.

“They have made our food in the evening and made sure we have everything we need.

“We’re like a small family on holiday.”

They started the challenge after being touched by a charity’s mission.

They heard Bolton’s Tim Marner interview the founders of Little Lady Locks on his podcast.

Little Lady Locks, a small charity not funded by the government, provides wigs for young girls under 18 who have lost their hair due to cancer or alopecia.

Ash said: “Seeing their confidence increase when they got their wig really touched me.

“I think every child should have the opportunity to be confident and happy.”

Ash and Dale aim to help the charity by raising £7,500 for them.

So far, people have donated £6,732.

To follow Ash and Dale’s journey, check Instagram account @_mission500.

To donate, visit https://www.justgiving.com/page/sophie-cartledge-1723127530200