UPDATE!!!: THE RACE IS RUN... 89.28km in 10hrs26minutes37seconds, 6470th out of 23,500

I completely under-estimated the severity of the enormous mountain range I had to cross. I am utterly utterly finished!!!! 

I would like to send out a huge thank you to everyone without who's support I would have never made it. Especially my amazing wife who has to put up with my stress!!!

 

I am going to attempt for my first time the 56 mile Ultra Marathon called Comrades in South Africa on 30th May 2010, and I am taking part to raise money for the charity Autistica, which is the largest UK charity raising funds for medical research that will improve diagnosis, advance new treatments and discover the causes of autism.

My son Ollie was diagnosed with autism in 2007 aged just 2yrs old. He will be 5yrs old in March and he is making enormous strides forward through the 'Early Intensive Behavioural Intervention' that is called 'Applied Behavioural Analysis'. My wife Caroline and I are immeasurably proud of his achievements and are amazed every day by the new and incredible things he can do, we also recognise how fortunate we are that Ollie has received this treatment and that he has responded so well to it.

Autism is a behavioural disorder that is widely talked about, misunderstood and quickly brushed aside. Its can cause great suffering to those affected, individuals and families alike. The emotional burden often overwhelming. Autism's costs to society and the economy are astronomical and the funding for research into the causes, treatment and eventual cure are minimal.

There are many charities that do excellent work in many ways for autistic individuals and their families, but my chosen charity aims to facilitate global research into the causes, treatment and eventual cure for autism.

I cannot recall exactly when, but in the last few years I heard of an ultra-marathon that takes place every year in South Africa between Pietermaritzburg and Durban called Comrades, well 2010 is the 85th anniversary and a 'down-run', that is its from PMB to Durban, all 56 miles of it, finishing in the Kingsmead Stadium where you might recall we beat South Africa by an innings and 98 runs in December! Some say the down-run is more fatiguing on the body and I am currently in training for the race on the 30th May. I am hoping to finish in under the 12 hours permitted and I am taking part to raise funds for Autistica.