He dies while trying to break an ultramarathon record in honor of a deceased friend

david parrishScottish long-distance runner, was found dead while trying to break the Cape Wrath trail record, a 376 km route from Fort William to the most north-western point of the island of Great Britain, located in Sutherland, in the Scottish Highlands.
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​Parrisha former member of the Royal Navy, had set himself the challenge of lowering the time used by Pawel Cymbalista in 2023 (14 hours, 49 minutes and 19 seconds). His sporting objective was linked to another monetary one: raise funds for the Scottish Mountain Rescue Service in memory of his close friend, Luke Irelandwho died from hypothermia in November 2014 when he went running in the mountainous area of ​​Glen Clova (Scotland). had opened an account on JustGiving where he collected donations that had already reached 14,717 pounds (almost 17,000 euros).
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​The Parrish’s body was found in Kintail, a mountainous area in the northwestern Highlands, at 10:25 p.m. on April 11. “There are no indications of suspicious circumstances and his relatives are aware,” Police Scotland said.
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Parrish had a victory in the Cape Wrath Trail in 2023 on his record. It was his first time in an ultra-distance race. He set a time of 45h28:48the second lowest of all the editions held. He had previously competed in Parkrun races and already walked the Cape Wrath Trail in 2021. He was champion of the Dumfries athletics club in 2022. In September 2025 he won the Dragon’s Back, un six-day, 380 km ultramarathon in the mountain range of Wales, from Conwy Castle to Cardiff Castle.

Once his death was known, there was a succession of expressions of recognition on the crowdfunding page, including that of Pawel Cymbalistahe
Cape Wrath trail record holder. “Having hiked the Cape Wrath Trail and holding the current record, I know how exceptional and demanding David’s challenge was. His goal was to beat my time, and I fully supported him. I make a donation in his honor. May he rest in peace.”