Seven men from Melksham have conquered two marathons in two days, raising £11,000 for the Bath and Wiltshire Air Ambulance – even though most of them had very little running experience.
The group ran four miles every four hours over two days earlier this month, finishing their final run at a community fundraising day at the Kings Arms in Melksham town centre. Around 500 residents joined them for a BBQ, live music and a bar.
“We haven’t done anything like this before,” said one of the runners, Sam Kirk. “The most we have done is run 5km or 10km. Only one of us had run a couple of marathons in the past. I think from the buzz we got when we finished and with all the community support, we’re definitely up for doing more.”
To fit in the distance, the group had to run through the night, which meant they had around three hours sleep over two days. “We had different people come and join us for the different runs, including at 1am, which was great,” said Sam. “So many people came out and helped us, supported and ran with us.”
It costs the Bath and Wiltshire Air Ambulance Charity, which is based in Semington, over £5million each year to continue its lifesaving work in the community.
In the first half of the year, the charity responded to 607 missions on 291 occasions with 316 missions attended in the critical care cars.
“To make the challenge that tiny bit easier, we had planned something to do after each run,” said Sam. “After one run, we finished at a friend’s house who did a BBQ and had a hot tub; on another day we ran to the Barge Inn, in Seend and had lunch; on the other we ran to the Reggae Reggae event in the King George V Park. It really helped because we knew we were running to a location to do something.
“It was such a relief to finish the challenge but I don’t think we have properly processed what we did because we ended at the Kings Arms and there were just so many people there, which was amazing.”
The event was a community effort, with many local businesses and residents rallying to support the runners through sponsorship, donations and hands-on help. One runner, David Jenkins, said, “We would like to thank Islington Motors for being the main sponsor, raising money through their Facebook campaign, and providing t-shirts and equipment for the after party.
“Special thanks also go to The Kings Arms, especially Imi, for hosting and feeding the runners; LH Rehab for providing massages for the runners; Poolside Café at Melksham Campus for providing lunches; Josh Arnold for supplying a free bouncy castle at the finishing party; Keith Taylor for compering and hosting the raffle; Beth Dark for looking after the children; and DJ Shep for providing music into the evening.
“We would also like to thank all other volunteers and runners, including Melksham parkrun, who helped with the event or who took their time to run or cycle with the team to keep them going through what was a gruelling challenge.
“Without the help of volunteers and all those companies that donated prizes, fundraising for these types of events would not generate as much interest and therefore not raise as much money. Community involvement is so important.”
To support the fundraising campaign, visit https://shorturl.at/ghIYf
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