Hello!

On the 26th of October, me (Jonny), my parents (Jeff and Catherine) and a glittering cast of supporters covered a total of 400km around the mean streets of Gosforth in Newcastle to raise money for Vision Romania.

Vision Romania works to support some of the most disadvantaged people in Romania. They help people trying to survive in often extreme poverty, by offering practical and financial aid. I have worked myself with many of the projects that they support, and I can assure you that the work being done there is really making a vast difference to people's quality of life there.

The original plan was for me to run 100km around a 5km circuit. Then Papa Ladd (Jeff) got involved and promised 50km of sheer walking brilliance around the same course on the same day. Mother Ladd was not far behind, offering her services to take the combined Ladd family total to 165 km (100 miles).

What happened next is all a bit of a blur, but went something like this; Becky Brookes joined me for the first 50km, starting at 6.30am, and proved what we all already knew; a) she is a machine and b) she really, seriously is a machine.

During the first 50km we were also joined for a 10km cameo by an effervescent Lucy Holloway and by Alan Ladd, who rolled back the years to provide a 5km burst of phone-relayed pace around the streets of Belfast.

I didn't really know who was going to join me for the second 50km. In the end, it was run in the company of a host of running legends. Jenni Harrington chimed in with an unheard of 40km, Tom Mayo joined for a conversational 35, Josh Taylor and Pip Lowdon both contributed frisky 25s. Lizzie Jones bounded round 20km with consumate ease, and Luke O'Neill and the Kanes (James and Lyndsey) joined the last two laps, all dragging yours truly round the last 10km. We finished, a 9-strong team, at 7.10pm, 12 and a half hours after starting. 

It was a pretty special achievement, and collectively, we have the injuries to prove it. Some of the people mentioned above I would be pretty concerned about running for a bus, let alone running the distances mentioned. What they all did was genuinely incredible.

But it only really matters if we raise money for Vision Romania. They truly are a fantastic cause, and they really deserve your support. I know so many of the people benefiting from the projects over there, and your money can really change their lives. Whoever you know who took part on Saturday was an absolute hero. But we only did it for one day; the people working the projects there are amazing every day.

Please see what you can give to support the cause. Vision Romania are amazing. Your friends or family who ran and walked with me on Saturday are amazing. It only really makes sense that you all make yourselves amazing too and give what you can :).

Thanks!