In January 2016 Fiona and I hitch-hiked from a mystery location in deepest Scotland (just off the A720, on the edge of Edinburgh) to Budapest, the capital of Hungary, as part of Race2 Budapest. That's a distance of over a thousand miles as the crow flies, further by road and rail. It would take 14 days of solid walking, and we had just 5 days to get there.

As part of this hitch-hike, we were not allowed to spend any money on our travel or pre-arrange transport; we relied on the kindness of strangers and broken communication to get us across the continent as we went. I hope we can rely on the kindness of you supporting us too.

Race2 is a charity event hosted by the Charities Campaign at the University of St Andrews Students' Association. The first Race was in 2006, and since then thousands of pounds have been raised for the Charities Campaign's nominated charities. This year, our charities are  Maggie's Cancer Care, UNICEF, and nightline. You can read more about them on our team page (https://www.justgiving.com/teams/HungryHungaryHikers).

In the words of the late great Terry Wogan, "The British public, as always, will dig deep in their pockets and purses to help the country's disadvantaged [people], knowing that every penny will go to those who need it most." Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to the Charities Campaign. It’s the most efficient way to donate. So go on, you know you want to.