CHARITY worker Dr Mark Calder will begin 14 ultramarathons to retrace the steps of Celtic saints.

The 1700-mile feat begins on Sunday and will take the 36-year-old over ancient pilgrim routes in Scotland and Northern England.

Calder, who works for the Embrace The Middle East organisation, aims to raise thousands to help refugees who fled Daesh return to their homes through his Running Home 2019 challenge.

Spaced over eight months, it begins on Sunday, when the Aberdeen dad will go from Dunfermline Abbey in Fife to Glasgow Cathedral, where St Mungo is buried. The route includes Culross, the saint’s birthplace, and Falkirk.

Calder said: “There are similarities between pilgrimages and ultramarathons – they have these intense highs and lows.”

To donate, visit the page www.runninghome2019.co.uk.