A local man has completed a gruelling 875-mile virtual running challenge from Land’s End to John O’ Groats, raising over £2,000 for Macmillan Cancer Support in memory of friends he has lost to cancer.
Jason Reeves, 62, tackled the challenge by accumulating miles at local running events and logging his progress on a virtual map tracking the journey across the length of the UK. The virtual format allowed him to cover the distance over multiple races.
He finished the final 26 miles at the Loch Ness Marathon on Sunday 28th September, completing the course in three hours and 40 minutes.
“For most of the marathon, I was aiming for a 3:22 finish, but at 22 miles a big hill sapped the last bit of fight from me, and the final two miles were a mixture of walking and running,” said Jason. “My finishing time was about 3:40. I forgot to stop my watch as I was feeling faint and made use of the medical support team.”
Jason, a DJ with Melksham’s Rock ‘n’ Roll Club, was inspired to take on the challenge after losing several friends from the club to cancer.
He said, “Last year, Gloria Crossley, who was well known in Melksham, died and she was the final inspiration for me to take on the challenge. I have had lots of people come up to me and thank me for raising the money because they have cancer; so many people have had it or had been affected by cancer.”
To complete the miles, Jason took part in local running events including the Salisbury and Frome half marathons, Westonbirt, the Warminster Carnival 10k Chase, Bratton Hilly Run and more.
Reflecting on his final leg at the Loch Ness Marathon, Jason said, “The atmosphere was amazing. My wife, Sam, handed me the sign for the virtual Land’s End to John O’ Groats challenge about 300 metres from the finish, which really boosted the cheering. The scenery was brutal for running, but absolutely stunning.”
To support Jason’s fundraising efforts for Macmillan Cancer Support, visit his JustGiving page: https://www.justgiving.com/page/jason-reeves-1735768100534
Pictured: Jason Reeves at the end of his challenge
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