Glastonbury Tor, an iconic location and it will be a fitting end point to a “pilgrimage”. The 150m elevation gives it impressive views over the Somerset levels. It will also give my legs a brutal final cramp inducing workout and frankly I won’t blame them for complaining.

You see if I get there, my legs will have walked / run me 117 miles in less than 48 hours. Hopefully we, my friend Jim is equally as nutty as me and is joining me on this endeavour, might even get there in 40 hours, in time for sunset.

The chances for a lovely sunset would be far enhanced if we did this in summer, but instead mid-November seemed like a really sensible time of year to do it!

Why November, why Glastonbury Tor, why in the name of all things that are sensible 117 miles?

Because of a running event called Escape from Meriden. Meriden is between Coventry & Birmingham, and a local tavern owner once claimed it was the centre of England and had a stone cross installed. For the last 10 years (barring 2020) people with nothing better to do, gather there on a Friday night in mid-November.

They get fitted with a GPS tracker and at the stroke of midnight, they run & walk as far away from Meriden, as the crow flies. Their choice of route, selected to be as efficient as possible, but equally avoiding busy roads without pavements. 24 hours later the event ends and competitors have spread out all over the country, some to London, Bristol, Manchester, the Wirral or much closer to Meriden if things have gone wrong.

This year the 48hr event is being run to celebrate the 10-year anniversary. That’s right, to celebrate it, I have purposely decided to put my body through an extra 24 hours of pain and sleep deprivation.

Glastonbury is 100 miles as the crow flies from Meriden and seemed like a good target location. Along the way we’ll visit the ruined abbey at Cirencester, the abbey at Bath and the cathedral at Wells.

Whilst we do run and walk long distances this is a big challenge for us, to keep going relentlessly through 2 nights in whatever weather conditions show up, but given we’re heading South West, likely a headwind. At 117 miles it will be the longest distance we’ve ever completed.

Why the ask for a donation?

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men. 1 in 8 men will get it, and if you’re Black, your risk is double. It causes approximately 12,200 deaths per year in the UK.

It is a great cause, promoting much needed awareness, especially as us men are hopeless at talking about this kind of thing.

I also need the additional pressure of knowing you’ve donated money to watch me suffer, keep me going when the mind and body is screaming at me to stop.

Oh, and you will sort of be able to watch. As we have a GPS tracker there will be a live tracking available so you can watch us (and everyone else taking place in the event) slowly move across England.

If you can make a donation it will keep me going in the dark times and places. Thank you.