8 Day Challenge

EIGHT HALF MARATHONS EIGHT DAYS  

Note-A half marathon is recognised as 13.1 mile…the daily average over the 8 days was recorded at 14 miles.

I’m happy to say I completed my 8 day challenge.

The challenge was set by pure coincidence as friends and family will be aware.(See bottom of page)

The week went better than I had hoped and I knew that injuries were my biggest threat having never ran more than 13.1 miles before on any given day, Obviously previous Great North Runs my longest recognised distances.

The photos show various times of the 8 days which consisted of the following…

DAY ONE Sunday 11 Sept 2011 (Matt Baker ONE SHOW)
Catterick Garrison Paratrooper 10 mile Endurance challenge 1 Hour 26 minutes

DAY TWO Monday 12 September 2011
Bowness Carlisle coast to Carlisle Tullie house

DAY THREE Tuesday 13 September 2011
Carlisle Tullie house to Lanercost

DAY FOUR Wednesday 14 September
Lanercost to Haltwhistle

DAY FIVE Thursday 15 September 2011
Haltwhistle to Hexham

DAY SIX Friday 16 September 2011
Hexham to Wylam

DAY SEVEN Saturday 17 September 2011 (Baroness Tanni Grey Thompson OLYMPIC LEGEND)
Wylam to Wallsend

DAY EIGHT Sunday 18 September 2011 (Mo Farah WORLD CHAMPION RUNNER-Fired start gun)
Great North Run 1 Hour 47 minutes

The week was a fantastic experience and I’m glad I did it AND ITS OVER!

Only two other guys ran every day of the CARLISLE-HADRIANS WALL RUN-WALLSEND
with me and they deserve credit namely Terry Deary whose idea it was and Gary Pinkerton from the Derwentside running club who was good company throughout and his experience of being an elite club runner was invaluable.

Other members of the same club ran various days as and when they could and were equally involved when present.

The biggest thanks goes to all the sponsors ...to view ALL online donations (and gross running total) visit www.justgiving.com/graemeforster ALL Cash/Cheque donations are listed below.

I was not aware of the charity Intergrating Children until the Hadrians Wall run (days 2 to 7) was set up to raise funds for it however I can definitely say their work is very special to the children they look after. As a parent of two daughters I take for granted taking my girls out to places like the cinema etc and to loads of places that aren’t as easy for disadvantaged kids to get too but with this money hopefully we can help a few of them have a good time where ever it be…The following names have also pledged and donated cash or cheques which will all be paid over to the charity once collected in full.

£10       G&J CLARKSON
£20       TERRY GALLAGHER
£50       D&J ARMSTRONG
£5         P MITCHELL
£10       S DALE
£5         P RUDDICK
£10       P LYNCH
£25       ALAN CAMPBELL BLAKELAW CLUB
£20       CRAIG PHAROAH
£20       GRAHAM SHORT
£20       M & W HAINSTOCK
£20       STEVE PATTISON
£20       TAFFY PETER
£100     ROB CAMPBELL
£10       MICK DIXON
£10       MARK JENSEN
£10       NORMAN BROWN
£10       ALI HETHERINGTON
£20       K & Y FORSTER
£20       J GOLIGHTLY
£20       A & M FORSTER
£20       IAN SIMPSON
£50       GARY BUTLER-DERWENTSIDE ELECTRICAL CONTRACTORS LTD
£20       ANDY DODD
£10       TZE AND LEESHAN
£50       IAN SILCOCK
£100     ERIC GATES
£80       CRAMLINGTON UNITED FC
£10       JIMMY BITTLESTONE
£10       STEVE HALL
£5         IVY PRUDOM
£5        CHRISTINE THOMPSON
£10      PAUL LYONS
£5        ANNE FINLOW
£10      DARREN DEVLIN

THANKS AGAIN….GRAEME.

HOW AND WHY?.....

The two Sunday runs were planned earlier in the year but I volunteered for the Hadrains wall run having seen childrens author Terry Deary on local news TV asking for some runners to join up for different days of the run (See www.terrysrun.co.uk). He is the writer and creator of the 'Horrible Histories' childrens BBC series which both my daughters enjoy watching and he got my attention.

The fantastic charity 'Intergrating Children' (PLEASE SEE THEIR PAGE AND INFO TO APPRECIATE THEIR WORK WITH CHILDREN WHO HAVE DISABILITIES) whom he has organised it in aid of are also based in the same area in Durham as the fire station I serve at so it all seemed a sensible and good idea (at the time!) to offer to run all six days..... and with that a challenge was born!.