Hi All,

A couple of years ago I decided to take on a running challenge for charity that was way out of my comfort zone. That challenge was a 50k ultramarathon series within a six week period with the added twist of scaling the three highest peaks in the UK. It was undoubtedly the hardest, most brutal, unforgiving challenge of my life but I completed it and at the same time I managed to raise a few quid for a great charity, the British Heart Foundation.

That challenge pushed me both mentally and physically more than I ever thought was possible and multiple times I said to myself never again am I putting myself through anything like this. But here I am again with undoubtedly the biggest challenge I will ever attempt.

Firstly I will be attempting The Wall which is a 70 mile ultramarathon from Carlisle Castle to Gateshead following the route of Hadrian's wall. And if that wasn't a daft enough challenge, three weeks later I will be attempting the Castle to Castle 100 mile ultramarathon from Bamburgh Castle in Northumberland to Edinburgh Castle.

I'll be running for charity again, this time I will be running for an amazing charity called SAFFA in memory of my Mam who worked for the MOD for the majority of her career and also my Uncle Harry who served proudly with the Kings Own Royal Border regiment for many years home and abroad. Both have sadly passed away in the last few years but are still massively missed everyday.

SAFFA are an armed forces charity which provides vital support to serving personal, veterans and their families across the UK. From housing to education and employment, SAFFA helps those who have given so much for others when they need it most.

SAFFA helped both my Mam and Uncle out in times of need as they do with a lot of vets, dependants etc and their support is hugely appreciated. But SAFFA wouldn't be able to offer that kind of support without the generosity of the public and charity funding events.

I know I have completed a few distance events like this previously and people say to me that its easy for me but believe me its not. I wouldn't consider myself a good runner at all and having Asthma doesn't help. But I do have the grit and determination to to hopefully get me through it. These challenges are on another level and way beyond anything I've ever attempted before. I've no doubt this will at times push me mentally and physically to breaking point. To put the 100 miler into context, My last challenge was three 50k ultras. This is like doing all three of them together in one hit but for those of you who know me I'm always up for the challenge and will give it my best shot.

Training has already started with a six month training program which in itself is a challenge with the amount of miles I have to cover on a weekly basis including back to back runs at the weekend. Anyone who runs any distance will know all about the time, effort and commitment that is put in behind the scenes before you even get to race day.

The Wall I'll be hoping to complete in 17/18 hours and Castle to Castle in 30 hours (Non-stop).

So I know it's a lot to ask but if you can spare a few quid to help out this amazing charity who do so much for others in their time of need I will be forever grateful.

Dave