Run the Date

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I recently read a book by a guy who had run 401 marathons in 401 days to raise money towards his anti-bullying charity. It was inspiring and I felt drawn to challenge myself in aid of a good cause in a less demanding but similar way.

The result is ‘Run the Date’. I will be running the number of miles in the date every day throughout September. This will be a total of 465 miles and ending with 5 (ultra)marathons in a row. The charity I am supporting is Folkestone Rainbow Centre which helps homeless and vulnerable people in East Kent through a winter shelter and food banks.

                 

The miles do not all have to be run in one go. As I work full time and have a young family I will be splitting the longer distances into two or three runs using early morning, lunchtimes and evenings as necessary.

As far as training goes I am not doing anything specific. I’m at the point where I run most days and can run a marathon distance most weeks if need be, so the first 26 days should be manageable. The biggest challenge will be the last week of back to back long runs.

Another important factor is making sure I am fuelling well enough. I will need to eat more calories and more regularly during the month.

My kit comprises a white t-shirt with the Rainbow Centre logo printed front and back, rainbow socks and rainbow sweat bands. This, and the fact that I will be running similar routes around Folkestone each day, should ensure I can raise awareness. I’m sure there will be some people who think it is a PRIDE based event but that can’t be helped.

I have set up a giving page online: Virgin Money - Run the Date and hope to feature in the local press.

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