Running 100 miles for charity boost

A runner will test his endurance when he takes on a 103-mile challenge to raise money for a disability charity.
Ian DuxburyIan Duxbury
Ian Duxbury

Ian Duxbury, 30, from Standish, will take part in the North Downs Way 100, which runs from Surrey to Kent, this weekend.

The route is almost the same distance as four back-to-back marathons, with 9,930ft of elevation, and it will take around 24 hours of continuous running for Mr Duxbury to complete it.

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The ultra marathon starts at 6am on Saturday and runners must complete it within 30 hours.

Mr Duxbury is taking part to raise money for Revitalise, which provides respite breaks for disabled people and carers at its Sandpipers centre in Southport and two other centres in the UK.

His sister Leanne started volunteering at Sandpipers in 1997 as part of her health and social care training and went on to work there as a care assistant, before qualifying as an occupational therapist in 2001.

Mr Duxbury is a psychology teacher and has worked in a number of schools offering specialist support for children with disabilities, so has seen the challenges faced by them and their carers.

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He decided to raise money for Revitalise as a way to “ recognise the wonderful work they do”.

Mr Duxbury, who now lives in Blackheath, London, said: “The last eight months have been gearing up to this. I use my commute to work as a way to fit in as much training as possible. I cycle three days a week and run twice the 15-mile round trip.

“Alongside this I do a longer run on a Saturday and then use Sunday to complete a shorter ‘recovery run’.

“Three weeks ago I completed my longest run to date as part of my training, self-navigating a run from London to Brighton – that’s 61 miles. This was difficult due to the terrain but was a useful experience to work on hydration and nutrition for the actual race.

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“Physically I feel ready for it, but I would be lying if I said I wasn’t nervous. I think now it becomes more of a mental challenge than a physical one.”

Mr Duxbury’s current fund-raising target for Revitalise is £600, but he would like to push that towards £1,000 if possible.

Anyone wishing to support him by making a donation can go online to www.justgiving.com/fundraising/ianduxbury100miles