A DUMBARTON man will this week achieve the incredible feat of 60 marathons in 60 years - and it's all for his wife.

Patrick Burns, 59, will reach the milestone this Sunday after he completes the Glencoe Marathon in a bid to raise £500 for Multiple Sclerosis (MS) – of which his wife, Karen, 56, is a sufferer.

Pat ran his first marathon in London in his 20s and hasn't stopped ever since.

He will mark an incredible effort this year in what will be his fourth race of the calendar, having only just completed the Fort William marathon six weeks ago.

He has ran marathons in locations across the globe, from native routes around Scotland such as Greenock and Speyside to foreign lands such as Paris and Vancouver.

He decided to mark the significant achievement by dedicating the latest effort specifically to his local MS branch, of which he and Karen are committee members.

Pat, a member of Milburn Harriers running club, said: “When Karen was diagnosed 11 years ago, she'd just had a hysterectomy and they say a dramatic event can activate a dormant gene in you but you never really know.

“It was a shock; you don't see too many changes at first but now she walks with crutches and she needs a wheelchair sometimes to save her from getting too fatigued.

“Looking after her takes up a bit of my time but we're hopeful as she's now on a two year drugs trial where she is either taking the new drug or a placebo; we don't know.

“I wanted to raise funds for the MS branch as it has been very supportive for us and we have made many friends within the group with the same condition.”

The couple have three children, Michelle, 33 Daniel, 30, and Jennifer, 27.

They also have three grandchildren, John, four, and eight-month old Emily from their eldest Michelle, and Adrian, 11, from their middle son, Daniel.

Though Pat spends much of his time doing voluntary work, he also juggles a part-time job with a shipping company in Glasgow, all while completing up to six marathons per year.

And despite his increasing years, more often than not, he still finishes in the top 25 per cent in most races.

He has also ran his fair share of ultra-marathons, including the 96 mile West Highland Way Race, which he completed in just 23 and a half hours, stopping only to drink, eat and change his shirt.

Even then, he says that wasn't the hardest race he has completed.

“I'd say Loch Ness was the hardest I've done because at the time I had a back injury.

“It was a kind of a spur of the moment decision to do it but it doesn't matter how difficult they are, I always remember that there are people a lot worse off and it gives you a push to help them.”

The Dumbarton MS branch offers a variety of support services such as lunch club as well as trips to Scottish events such as Ayr Flower show and theatre events.

For more information about MS, visit https://www.mssociety.org.uk/.