An Edinburgh resident has spoken of his delight at being chosen to represent the city in the Great Scottish run this October as part of the Bank of Scotland Community Challenge.

Mark Pelosi, who is originally from upstate New York but now lives in Slateford, decided to tackle the 10km race to lose weight so he could keep up with his sons Lewis, 3, and Innes, 18 months.

Bank of Scotland, who sponsor the Great Scottish Run which takes place on October 1, launched the Community Challenge to help get Scotland active.

The campaign has recruited one runner from each of the 32 local authorities in Scotland to take on a ’10 week to 10k’ running challenge.

Pelosi, a teacher at Gracemount Primary School, will receive complimentary entry for the race, a personalised training programme by a Great Run expert coach and VIP hospitality at the finish area.

“My wife Julia and I have two young kids and so one of the last things I worried about was my own health, so last summer my wife and I had a serious discussion about losing weight and getting healthy,” the 31-year-old said.

“Since last July I’ve lost over three stone, so it was a big change and I’m still in the process of trying to lose more.

“The Great Scottish Run Community Challenge has helped me continue this journey, because I have a date and event to focus on and I’m doing it representing the city.

“So those nights when I feel too tired to go out and do anything, it motivates me to go out because I won’t be able to do the run unless I’m training and focussed.”

Starting at George Square in the heart of Glasgow, the Bank of Scotland Great Scottish Run will see runners follow the iconic route through the city before they reach the tree-lined finish in the shadow of Nelson’s Monument.

Philip Grant, Chair, Scottish Executive Committee, Lloyds Banking Group, said: “This challenge is a fantastic addition to the event and adds to our aim to help Scotland prosper and make a difference in our local communities.

“I’m really looking forward to watching the runners’ progress and learning more about them on the lead up to the event.”

Bank of Scotland is supporting runners from communities across Scotland on their 10 weeks to a 10k challenge for the Bank of Scotland Great Scottish Run Community Challenge. For more information, visit greatscottishrun.com/community-challenge