A pair of policemen will be plodding the pavements between Marlborough and London to raise much-needed coppers for Britain’s most vulnerable children, as they attempt to run an incredible three marathons in three days.
The gruelling challenge is being undertaken by Jon Hewlett (35) from Marlborough and Adam Leakey (29) from Swindon, colleagues from the burglary and robbery unit based at Gablecross police station in Swindon.
The PCs, who hope to raise £10,000 for Children in Need, will set off from Marlborough Town Hall on Wednesday, November 14. Following the A4 through Hungerford and Newbury they will finish their first 26.2 mile leg at Woolhampton, near Thatcham.
On Thursday they’ll set off from Reading, hitting the A4 again and arriving five hours later at Slough.
And on Friday – Children in Need day – they’ll set off from Hammersmith Apollo in London, taking in the capital’s most famous landmarks before finishing their 78-and-a-half mile endurance challenge at BBC Television Centre in West London
For the runners, getting the pace right will be vital. “It will be so tempting to set off at our normal running speed,” said Jon, “but we have to remember we’re running three marathons; not one. We’ll aim to cover each mile in about 16 minutes, to preserve our stamina. That means five hours of fairly steady running each day.
“Reducing our recovery time has been really important,” said Adam, who only took up running in April.
“When I started, I couldn’t run a mile without stopping. Now I run the six miles to work in under an hour, or do a half marathon before starting a shift. The daft thing is that running 18 or 19 miles in a day has become a routine for me – my legs used to ache and I felt tired after a long run; now I don’t.”
Both men have young families, which inspired them to raise money for Children in Need, although – for Adam – it was always going to be the charity he supported. “I grew up watching the telethons,” he said, “and always wanted to support it.”
“It’s such a well known charity that it has made fundraising easier,” added Jon. “You don’t need to explain Children in Need to people; everyone has heard of Pudsey Bear.”
The pair admit that families and work colleagues were skeptical when they first announced their intention to complete three marathons in three days.
“But people have seen the changes in our physiques, and witnessed our dedication, and they know we’re serious,” said Jon.
“Besides the physical effort, training has involved huge personal sacrifice, both on our parts and those of our families,” said Adam.
“If we work a shift then go running for 18 miles, that’s two and a half or three hours when our families aren’t seeing us, and it’s hard work when you just want to relax after a shift.
“You don’t put yourself through six months of training not to go through with the challenge in the end.”
The sporting community has also fallen in step with the duo. Swindon-based physio Danny Clayton, former sports masseur to Swindon rugby club and the Cardiff Blues, will be following the runners to treat minor injuries, aches, and pains; while sports outfitters Run Swindon, in Old Town, have donated a pair of running shoes to each constable.
Adam and Jon’s fundraising total is currently just shy of £2,000. To make a donation, log on to the Just Giving website.
Businesses that want to offer support or sponsorship can email the runners.