A veteran in Melksham is running 150 miles over 11 days carrying a Royal British Legion (RBL) flag to raise funds for the charity ahead of Remembrance Day.
Stephen Crawshaw-Bowen, who served in the Army for 12 years, started the challenge on 1st November and will finish it on 11th November, Remembrance Day.
The challenge will see him complete up to 20 miles a day to raise funds for the RBL, which provides life-long support to serving and ex-service personnel and their families.
“I have got five children, so I am trying to fit it in with school hours. I also work full-time so I have to find the time to do it,” said Stephen.
This is not the first time Stephen has completed a running challenge for the RBL ahead of Remembrance Day, as last year he ran five miles a day for a month, raising over £1,000.
“It is going to be more challenging this year. I haven’t run 20 miles for a long time, I have been out of the Army for three years,” said Stephen. “I am aiming for roughly three hours, maybe less than that, but it depends. I also need to find somewhere to run 20 miles around Melksham – it’ll involve overlapping certain routes I did last year.”
Stephen will once again run with the RBL flag, which depicts a lone soldier, a poppy, a Spitfire and a Royal Navy ship. He said, “This year I am going to wear it on a flagpole to make it easier for running. The flag attracted lots of attention from people last year, who were all really supportive. Lots of cars would beep their horns, people clapped and others would stop me halfway wanting photos. I am hoping for more of the same support this year.”
The charity is close to Stephen’s heart after he received support for himself and his family when he left the military, where he had served in the Yorkshire Regiment.
He said, “I am also doing this for the people who actually work at RBL. They might be civilians who may have never served, but I want to support everyone who is tied to the charity.”
To support Stephen in his fundraising, visit https://shorturl.at/H6rTq
