Following the extreme three-day, multi-discipline challenge, called Maggie’s X3, the amount raised by colleagues, friends, customers and suppliers was £12,600 – £2,600 ahead of target – for Maggie's, which provides support to people with cancer and their family and friends.

Despite having previously participated in four gruelling Maggie's Monster Bike and Hike events, Blackmore said he found the event ‘very demanding’.

He started from Maggie’s Centre in Inverness and, on the first day alone, completed a total of 71 miles over six stages, involving road cycling, running, kayaking down Loch Ness and mountain cycling, finishing in Fort William an hour ahead of schedule.

Day two involved a 47-mile run from Fort William to Inverarnan over seven stages, including some really punishing terrain and climbs including the ominously named ‘Devil’s climb located in Glencoe. 

In spite of appalling conditions with strong winds and torrential rain, Blackmore completed day two on time. 

The final day was a mix of four stages, including a 12-mile kayaking stage across a choppy Loch Lomond, followed by a drizzly 27-mile cycle to Maggie’s Centre in Glasgow. And Blackmore managed to complete a hat trick of on-time finishes – quite a feat considering the enormous challenge. Looking back on the event, he said: “Maggie’s X3 was, without doubt, the most challenging thing I’ve done to date – but equally, the most rewarding. A total of 168 miles in three days sounds extreme, but travelling the beautiful hills, trails, and lochs of the Scottish Highlands wasn’t exactly a chore. I’m just delighted to be able to do my bit for Maggie’s. Raising over £12,000 for such a deserving cause was well worth the effort.”

Kerry Craig, centre head at Maggie’s Glasgow, added: “This was a truly remarkable achievement by David. Support like this is invaluable in making sure we can continue to be here for anyone with cancer, and their family and friends, when they need us most. We would like to say the most sincere thank you to all those who have supported David through this quite outstanding effort.”