Made it!

At 8.15am on the 21st of January I arrived at Lindisfarne Priory. It actually worked out at 102km and took 12 hrs 45min! The frosty cold day ensured all the 'boggy' sections' were frozen solid and we had a beautiful clear day. I had great support  along the way from my family and friends who ran sections with me, fed me and cheered me on!

Thanks to eveyone who took part and sponsored me it was much appreciated. We've raised a lot of money for a great cause.

Mike

On the 21st January 2011, I'm going to get up in the dark, light up my head torch, pull on a pair of waterproof socks and 3 woolly vests and try to run 104 km in a single day.  I am starting my challenge thankfully from my Mum and Dad's house in Rothbury ( so I can at least start with a cauldron of warming porridge in my belly)

I will follow the route of St Oswalds Way, a long distance walking route which winds it's way along the River Coquet (hopefully not in the snow) and then up the coast running with an icy January cross wind off the North Sea (for 74 Km) pass Bamburgh Castle and then finally across the Causeway to Lindisfarne .

To add spice and time pressure to the final section of the journey, I will be running the final leg of the route in the dark, watching the tide to avoid getting my feet wet and sliding around on seaweed and shifting sand.

It's my intention to arrive before I'm forty (on the 22nd!).  Hopefully things will go as planned and it will take about 12 hours to run the 104km. Callum, Alison and Richard will be running parts of the route with me, hopefully helping carry the enormous amount of food I will consume! 

I'm running to raise money for Macmillan Cancer Support.  In October, Stephanie Pratt (my Sister -in -Law) lost her brave fight against Ovarian Cancer.  The family are still stunned by the speed of the spread of her cancer ( 6 month from her diagnosis to her death)and by the length of time she had cancer that was undetected.  It is said to be 'a silent killer' for this very reason.

Macmillan Nurses supported Steph and the family during this time, both during her chemo and pallative care.  They were greatly appreciated, as were all of the helpful leaflets explaining things fully and clearly.  We would like to ensure that other families benefit from this support too during these so difficult times. 

I would appreciate any donations, and will let you all know how I've got on! Lets hope it doesn't snow too much and I can complete the challenge.

Thanks

Mike

PS You can see more detail of the route at: http://www.stoswaldsway.com/home.html

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