Imagine running a marathon on hills, grass, sand and mud, then waking up the next day and doing the same thing all over again…..every day for 39 days. This is what will be happening in April next year when a marathon for charity gets underway.
Anne-Marie ‘Arry’ Beresford-Webb, (30) and Guy Hicks (31) from South Wales, UK, will be running a 1027 mile multiday trail ‘Ultramarathon’ (1) in an attempt to raise money for two charities including the Gozo CCU Foundation Ventilator Fund www.gozoccufoundation.com [1].
Arry’s parents lived in Gozo and were both treated at the Gozo CCU prior to their passing away in 2007 and 2009.
‘The Dragon Run 1027,’ as it is called, will start in Cardiff Bay, in South Wales on the 6th of April 2012 and will involve the friends running 39.2 marathons (1027 miles) around the entire coastline of Wales and along the border of England and Wales, over a maximum time of 45 days, returning to Cardiff triumphant, on the 21st of May 2012.
‘The All Wales Coastal Path’ is a continuous path around the entire coastline of Wales. Funded by the Welsh Government (WG) and delivered through the Countryside Council for Wales (CCW) that will officially open on the 5th of May 2012.
Both Arry and Guy are experienced runners, but have never tackled distances like this before, let alone on trails rather than roads!
Arry said, “We will be running the All Wales Coastal Path which is due to officially open during our run, and the Offas Dyke path, which runs down the Welsh border with England. The terrain will be very challenging and we will be pushed to our mental and physical limits with this challenge!”
Guy added, “Last year we both climbed Mount Kilimanjaro as part of a group who raised £250,000 for Velindre Cancer Centre and we felt we were ready to take on a new challenge, we’re taking this one to the extreme to try and raise a lot more money for our two charities!”
Velindre Cancer Centre is the largest non-surgical cancer Hospital in Wales providing Radiotherapy, Chemotherapy and other specialised anti-cancer treatments for over half the people diagnosed with cancer in Wales. The Stepping Stones Appeal provides funding for local lung cancer research projects, educational grants to health professionals involved in the care of lung cancer patients and equipment provision to improve the way that lung cancer patients are treated.
The pair will be running the entire distance together, with the support of their volunteer back up drivers that will be driving along the nearest roads with blister plasters and other supplies.
The run is planned to be carried out within 45 days. This is including 6 days ‘rest’ to allow for injury and fundraising opportunities. The start date is the 6th of April 2012 and the finish date will be on the 21st of May 2012.
Anyone who wishes to make a donation or would like more information on the run, sponsors and the charities that will benefit, please visit http://www.dragonrun1027.co.uk/ [2].
(1) An Ultramarathon is classified as any run that is longer than 26.2 miles in length.