We (Ollie Brodrick-Ward and Charlie Taylor) have been successful in our aim of running from the West Coast to the East Coast of England in under four days, using the route devised in 1972 by the well-known writer and hill walker, Alfred Wainwright. We eventually finished, after some hard graft, at 2am on 2 December 2008, in a time of 3 days and 20 hours.
Ollie previously walked the route with friends in December 2007. Having been told that he was mad to do so at such a time of year, he decided to persuade Charlie to join him in a quest to run the route this winter. Charlie is experienced at endurance challenges, having completed a trans-Atlantic Row in world record time. This was harder.
Wainwright’s route begins at St Bees in Cumbria and finishes at Robin Hood’s Bay in North Yorkshire. With help from our OS map and compass, the route took us over the Lake District, Yorkshire Dales and North Yorkshire Moors. We ran (and occasionally marched) cross country over passes such as Great Gable, Helvellyn, Swaledale and Cringle and Urra Moor. (For more details about the route, please visit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coast_to_Coast_Walk
We wanted to complete the 192 mile route in four days, covering approximately 50 miles ( about two marathons) a day! We slept in the open using bivouac shelters and avoided B&Bs, Hotels and Pubs on route (well mostly - cheers Tony - we are maybe a little mad). We were met by a support vehicle at certain points along the route to provide us with provisions and first aid (the latter of which was luckily not really required!).
The Alzheimer's Society is an organisation which works to improve the quality of life of people affected by dementia in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The branch services include daycare and homecare for people with dementia, as well as support and befriending services to help partners and families cope with the demands of caring. From Alzheimer's Cafés and innovative 'singing for the brain' sessions to memory-book projects and group outings, the branches provide both practical support and an essential point of human contact.
Every year they invest around £1.5 million in a programme that funds important research that will help us to improve the quality of life for people with dementia, by tackling questions related to the causes of dementia, investigating good practice in care and treatment, and pursuing a cure.
Any money raised will go to the East Suffolk branch of the Alzheimer's Society.
Many thanks for your support. Especial thanks to Andrew Brodrick-Ward, our heroic support team.
Suggestions for the next challenge welcome.
Charlie
