Update On My World Record Attempt
The below is a summary of my Land’s End to John o’ Groats challenge.
You can read a full review of my LEJOG attempt here.
And there is a short film about the challenge using the link below.
A short film about my world record attempt to run more than 800 miles in 9 days - from Land’s End to John o’ Groats (LEJOG)
On day 5, Wednesday 29th May, I stopped my world record attempt.
At the end of day 4, I was still on track for the record, and had just finished one of my best sections of the entire attempt.
But on day 5, I woke up and my legs were exhausted.
I spent around 9 hours mostly walking, but could not get enough energy to get the required pace for the record.
After 18 months of training, planning and preparation, this was a massive disappointment.
And not the outcome that anyone wanted.
But, I did love every single moment of the attempt, including the pain and the tears.
And I want to say a massive thank you to a number of people who helped me to even get that far.
The Family - Particularly Catherine, my wife for her unwavering support over the past 18 months
The Team - Those who were there with me during the attempt, plus those who had helped over the past year and a half, but couldn’t make the event itself
The Community - I’ve been blown away by the positive energy from every single person that this challenge has touched. From people on social media to people joining me on the run itself. I’ve been staggered by how many people this has touched.
To Inspire and Raise Money
Two of the main reasons for this attempt (apart from the world record), were to:
Inspire People - To take on massive challenges of their own. That could be their first every 1k run. Or to beat their 100 mile PB. I hope that the attempt has done this
Raise Money and Awareness for Hope for Children - Hope for Children is a charity that aims to give vulnerable children a happy childhood by improving their access to education and healthcare, and empowering families to support themselves.
You can donate on my fundraising page here - and tell others in your network too!
What’s Next?
I’m taking some time to recover properly and spend more time with my family than I have in the past 18 months,
But I intend to keep competing in very long and very difficult events.
To keep up with my training and racing, follow me on social media and Strava using the buttons below.
The Challenge
On 25th May 2019, I started an attempt to break a world record for running from the bottom of the UK to the top – Land’s End to John o’ Groats (LEJOG).
To do that I needed to run around 100 miles a day.
- Distance: Nearly 850 miles
- Time: Less than 9 days, 2 hours, 26 minutes
- Running: Around 100 miles/18 hours per day
- Sleep: 4 hours per night
The Route
I started in Lands End in Cornwall and aimed to finish in John o' Groats in Scotland.
There is a detailed Google Maps route on the right.
Key places I was aiming to pass through or nearby included:
Bodmin, Tiverton, Chepstow, Hereford, Warrington, Kendal, Penrith, Lockerbie, Edinburgh, Perth, Aviemore, Inverness
The History
The first recorded journey was in 1871.
The current men’s record was set by Andi Rivett in 2001 and stands at 9 days, 2 hours and 27 minutes.
The route has been completed in many weird and wonderful ways, including skateboarding, by unicycle and even by playing golf the whole way round!
The fastest journey is 46 minutes and 44 seconds! Although that was in a plane!
The Good Causes
I raised awareness and money for Hope for Children.
You can donate on my fundraising page here - and tell others in your network too!
Hope for Children is a charity that aims to give vulnerable children a happy childhood by improving their access to education and healthcare, and empowering families to support themselves.
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