16 May 2007
Firefighter Steve Moore, pictured above, is about to undertake the equivalent of nearly eight marathons in one for charity - and if that’s not strenuous enough on its own, he has the added challenge of having to orienteer through part of the route!
Steve, from Aylesbury Fire Station is tackling a 200-mile run, non-stop over four days, as one of the 12 competitors taking part in the Seni Extreme 200, the longest and toughest footrace in Europe.
With the help of the children from The John Hampden School, Wendover, where his own children are among the pupils, Steve is hoping to raise the last £25,000 of the £125,000 target set by Scannappeal’s HURT Appeal. The appeal is raising funds for dedicated equipment to be based at Stoke Mandeville Hospital and provide a local service for around a thousand of the sickest and most vulnerable babies and children each year.
This is the 36-year-old’s latest “ultra” marathon, but he believes this to be his toughest challenge yet. Steve said: “It’s going to be tough to the extreme this time, as the race is non-stop. I’ve done 180 miles over six days, but that was carrying equipment and we had proper rests. This one’s the biggest challenge both physically and mentally I’ve faced, but the adrenalin’s already got me, and I can’t wait to start.”
Starting at midday tomorrow (Thursday 17 May), Steve will set off from Birmingham, leaving Brierley Hill in Dudley, to follow the ‘Shakespeare Way’ through the Cotswolds and South Bucks.
Running through the day and night, along canal towpaths, footpaths, bridleways and national trails, and catching an hour or two’s sleep as and when he needs it, Steve aims to cross the finish line on Sunday at around midday, in front of a crowd of 10,000 people in London’s ExCel Arena, at the Seni Show.
Although Steve will be supported throughout this race by a small team of family and friends who will be carrying the majority of his food, drink and clothing supplies, he must run on his own, maintaining his pace while map-reading and orienteering across the rural route.
“I’m not really worried about getting lost,” added Steve. “I have hand sized cards which I’ll be carrying, along with two bottles of water and a mobile phone – that’s it. If I take a wrong path I’ll just turn and get back to the right one – all it means is a little extra to run. It’ll be hard and horrid over the four days but a big accomplishment to finish.”
All Steve’s food supplies are being carried by his support team, and throughout the four days he’ll need to consume around 30,000 calories – the equivalent of twelve hundred Mars bars.
During the run Steve will be travelling through Marlow, High Wycombe and just south of Gerrards Cross. As long as they are not attending an incident, crews from each station have pledged to turn out and support Steve as he passes through their station ground.
If you would like to help Steve and the school in their bid to raise the final amount for HURT, visit the website at www.justgiving.com/johnhampdenschool
Steve’s progress can be followed live alongside the other twelve athletes taking part in the extreme event at www.ambitionlife.com