Scroll down to Find out how we got on!

A marathon is too much for most runner’s, so what about 4 guys who have been training to complete an astonishing 80 miles along the South Downs Way from the Queen Elizabeth Country Park, Petersfield to the Eastbourne Rugby Club, This route is tough, uncompromising and particularly grueling. The flint and chalk make it hard going underfoot and there are many hills to climb plus 4 river valleys to get through resulting in a total climb of 5,500 ft! The compensation if you can call it that are the spectacular views north to the Weald and south over the Channel. So what makes them contemplate this madness? As you might expect it’s all for a great cause; Momentum. Momentum is a local charity that improves the lives of children suffering with cancer and other life threatening illnesses. Use this link to find out more about what they do: www.moment-um.org Please take the time to watch their video, it is incredibly moving and it will show you exactly how your money will be used.

Paul Viney, Peter Clement, Obs and Will Southon are determined to finish and continue a fund raising effort that began 6 years ago to assist worthy organisations in the memory of Lewis Clement who was a keen runner himself but died of cancer in 2002 at the age of 20, to date over £13000.00 has been raised.

As you might expect a great deal of time has been given to training and this has taken place largely around the beautiful Gibbet Hill and Hindhead Commons, Surrey. Their effort has been pretty well non stop 4/5 days a week now for the best part of 3 years and indeed they may have made the attempt last year but for injuries! The lads always prefer to run cross country, but of course during the dark nights of winter they’ve reverted to the tarmac to keep in shape.

To reach this high level of fitness is quite an achievement for Obs and Will who only started running in 2004. Paul and Peter are more senior campaigners having run together for nearly 30 years, they have  many long distance trail races in the cupboard but are determined to finish this event despite the ageing bones !!!

No group of people could have put in more hours, dedication and effort in rain and shine, through mud and dust as these four have. Relationships and even marriages have been under strain as collectively thousands of hours are spent on getting into shape ready for this super human effort….they deserve your support! The event takes place on Saturday 26th July, 2008 with an early start from the QECP car park. PLEASE BE GENEROUS!!!

More information will be posted on this website as and when it becomes available. Thank you.

We have raised our target from £5000 to £7000 as we have already recieved such a fantastic amount support from everyone. Please keep it up we won't let you down!

The 80!

We did it! After 20 hours of hard slog in blazing heat and then pitch darkness we finally jogged in to Eastbourne at 01.30 am having left Petersfield at 05.00 am. It was an incredible effort by everyone involved. On the day we were joined by two of our running friends Alistair Doyle and Jeremy Wilde. Alistair had very kindly provided detailed maps of the route. They’re company and map reading skills were to prove priceless over the course of the day and I must say a big thank you to both of them. We may well still be up there if it weren’t for those maps!

It was a very long day for our support team too without whom we could not have completed the challenge. Lead by Anne Clement they were waiting at every checkpoint providing us with drinks, food, spare clothes and much needed moral support! So a big Thank you to Tessa, Mark, Sue, Jo, Becky, Tom, Angela and Nigel.

The sheer effort involved was incredible. We all suffered in the heat and it made it very tough. Paul had an ongoing back/hamstring problem going into the run but was determined to finish. Despite being in serious pain early on he managed to battle through. It was just this sort of spirit which pulled us all through as hill after hill we somehow kept going. Not getting there just wasn’t an option and that is where our sponsors helped!

We have been totally overwhelmed by the support our efforts have received from all of you. The amount of money everyone has given has been incredible. We really cannot thank you enough. It was a massive boost to know that we had raised such a large sum of money and when it was really getting tough it was easy to keep going because we didn’t want to let you down. Thank you.

This is an email we received from a girl called Hannah who is helped by Momentum she has agreed for me to put it on our page. It certainly makes all the madness worthwhile. It is great to know that all the money you have given us will be used to help people like Hannah.

Dear Oliver,
I have had your email to Natalie forwarded on to me and I just wanted to say good luck and an enormous thank you from all the children that benefit from Momentum.
My name is Hannah, I am sixteen and Momentum is very important to me. Last November I was diagnosed with a rare bone tumour in my hip. I have chemotherapy every three weeks at University College and come to Kingston Hospital when I get ill between my chemotherapies. Momentum has been a huge help to me. They give children like me a treat when everything seems to be getting too much, they have installed internet access in the side rooms so that I can stay in touch with my friends when I need to be in isolation, and they are there for me when I need support or comfort.
Thank you for all your efforts in helping Momentum.
Love
Hannah Johns