Story
<p><span style="color: #a52a2a;"> </span></p>
<p><span style="color: #a52a2a;">Well we completed the first leg of our fundraising year. 12th March we completed the Welsh one Day series 50 mile Ultra Marathon!!! An amzing dog dragged me around the Brecon Beacons all for charity in 13 hours and over harsh terrain and it was fantastic to watch where he got his reserves of energy from.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #a52a2a;">My name is Jonathan Fletcher and I am a former soldier in the Parachute Regiment and this is my K9 buddy, Otto (Skegnelli) Fletcher. </span></p>
<p><span style="color: #a52a2a;">Otto is a 2 year old husky and crossed with a labrador. We both are endurance runners in the sport of 'canicross' and run races anything from 10km up to our first 'Ultra Marathon' which takes place in March 2011 and is 50 miles long on the Brecon Beacons in Wales.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #a52a2a;">NEW DATES FOR RACES:</span></p>
<p><strong>MARCH 2011 </strong><strong>50 MILE 'ULTRA MARATHON' ROSS-ON-WYE <span style="color: #ff0000;">(Completed in 13 hours).</span></strong></p>
<p><strong>30th JULY 2011 50 MILE 'ULTRA MARATHON' CUMBRIA</strong></p>
<p><strong>AUGUST 2011 130KM 'K9 TROPHEE DES MONTAGNE' FRENCH ALPS (OUR MAIN EVENT)</strong></p>
<p><strong>11th SEPTEMBER 2011 THE 'PARAS 10' - WILL OTTO BE THE FIRST OFFICIAL DOG TO COMPLETE THE PARACHUTE ENDURANCE COURSE?</strong></p>
<p><strong>3rd DECEMBER 2011 40 MILE 'ULTRA MARATHON' BRECON BEACONS.</strong></p>
<p><strong>MARCH 2012 50 MILE 'ULTRA MARATHON' HAY-ON-WYE</strong></p>
<p><strong>6th JUNE D DAY 44 MILE 'ULTRA MARATHON' NORMANDY FRANCE - FINISHES AT PEGASUS BRIDGE</strong></p>
<p><span style="color: #a52a2a;">We are also completing a few smmaller races throughout the rest of 2010 and into 2011 where we will again be entering the K9 'Trophee des Montagne (Trophy of the Mountains) which takes places in the French Alps early August 2011.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #a52a2a;">We completed the Trophee des Montagne in August 2010 and this was a series of races in the Alpes des Huez region of France. The races covered nine days and covered 130km of some of the most mountainous terrain that I have so far encountered even from my time in the military.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #a52a2a;">We came 90 out of 163 people (& dogs) in 2010 and this against professional and seasoned runners. </span></p>
<p><span style="color: #a52a2a;">It was a fantastic challenge not only for me but more so for a 23kg dog who believe me pulled me up mountains when I was faltering.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #a52a2a;">It is also (i am sure you will agree) a bit different a dog raising money for a charity and when you are in a shop raising funds people do tend to give a little bit extra when they see his 'cute' eyes and cannot believe his endurance and how far he runs.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #a52a2a;">Our chosen charity this year is 'Combat Stress'.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #a52a2a;">Combat Stress is an organisation set up for servicemen & women who have being involved in conflicts and diagnosed with PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) as a result of service operations including Northern Ireland, Falklands Campaign, Bosnia, Sierra Leone and more recently Iraq & the on-going deployment in Afghanistan.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #a52a2a;">The charity today has 8,000 ex-service men & women registered with them helping them re-build their lives, and it is growing.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #a52a2a;">I will update the page with training photos & videos and from our events as they approach.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #a52a2a;">If you make a donation then please e mail me on the address below and I will personally thanks you via return mail.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #a52a2a;">It does not matter how much you donate , as every amount counts and adds up to a great and worthy cause.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #a52a2a;">Thanks again </span></p>
<p><span style="color: #a52a2a;">Jon & Otto</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #a52a2a;">info:</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #a52a2a;">e mail: <a href="mailto:jj1598@live.co.uk">jj1598@live.co.uk</a></span></p>
<p><span style="color: #a52a2a;"><a href="http://www.tropdesmon.org">www.tropdesmon.org</a> <span style="color: #ff0000;"> French Alps event 2010</span></span></p>
<p><span style="color: #a52a2a;"><a href="http://www.mightcontainnuts.com">www.mightcontainnuts.com</a> <span style="color: #ff0000;">Ultra Marathon March 2011</span></span></p>
<p><span style="color: #a52a2a;"><a href="http://www.combatstress.org.uk">www.combatstress.org.uk</a> <span style="color: #ff0000;">Charity Website</span></span></p>
<p><span style="color: #a52a2a;"><a href="http://www.canicross.org.uk">www.canicross.org.uk</a> <span style="color: #ff0000;">Canicross information</span></span></p>
<p> <a href="http://www.lakeland100.com/the-lakeland-50">http://www.lakeland100.com/the-lakeland-50</a> <span style="color: #ff0000;"> </span></p>
<p><span style="color: #ff0000;">Ultra Marathon Lakeland 50</span></p>
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