Updated 22 May 2020
These are the fab 50 runners who have completed the LE-JOG challenge to run the length of Great Britain, raising over £4,000 for our hospital charity in the process.
The 50 taking part in the challenge completed runs from their home addresses, with each one aiming for 17-and-a-half miles within 24 hours. The original target was an overall total of 874 miles – the equivalent distance between Lands End and John O’Groats – but the team ended up completing more than 900 miles during the 24 hour period of the challenge on Saturday 16 and Sunday 17 May.
The runners had beautiful weather and through their amazing efforts have raised a current total of £4,321 for our James Paget Hospital Charity.
The challenge was organised by Matt Jeffries, who wanted to engage local runners by giving them something to train for and take part in, at a time where the COVID-19 outbreak meant the cancellation of many organised events, and who wanted to support the hospital.
Organiser Matt says; “I set out the rules, messaged around to get interest and within a few hours I had a team of 50 runners of all abilities, from the Lowestoft, Beccles, Oulton Broad, Gorleston, Bradwell and Great Yarmouth area, who wanted to take part. We all reside in the local area and it gives us great pride knowing that, by utilising what we love doing in our spare time, it is going to help the wider community by supporting the James Paget.
“The team of 50 runners covered a total accumulated distance of 933 miles during the 24 hour period, slightly more than the 874 miles planned which means we ended up running onto one of the Scottish isles or into the sea! We are over the moon with the support we have received.”
The team smashed their original £2,000 target, more than doubling it. You can still contribute here if you’d like to; https://www.jpaget-charity.org.uk/Fundraisers/lejog-running-challenge
Thank you to everyone who took part and to Matt for organising the event.
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A group of 50 local runners are embarking on a 24-hour challenge to run the length of Great Britain to raise money for our James Paget Hospital Charity.
The LE-JOG Running Challenge will take place on 16 and 17 May, and will abide by the current government guidelines with those taking part running the equivalent of the distance between Lands End and John O’Groats - 874 miles - as part of their daily exercise from their home, with every runner completing around 17-and-a half miles each.
The challenge is being organised by Matt Jeffries, who was born at the James Paget, grew up in Bradwell, joined the Army in 2005 after leaving high school and spent 10 years serving with the 7th Parachute Regiment Royal Horse Artillery, completing two tours of Afghanistan.
During his time with the Army he became more involved with running and now he works in the energy industry, lives in Oulton Broad and is a reservist as well as running with City of Norwich Athletic Club.
Matt says; “Through this unsettling time with the Covid-19 outbreak, it has placed new challenges onto everybody. Knowing how many people within the area take part in running, and with races postponed, I wanted people to remain engaged, have something to train for and to complete an event for a local charitable cause. I wanted to set something up to support our local hospital for the wider local community and that is when the challenge was born.
“I set out the rules, messaged around to get interest and within a few hours I had a team of 50 runners of all abilities, from the Lowestoft, Beccles, Oulton Broad, Gorleston, Bradwell and Great Yarmouth area, who wanted to take part. Each runner will run - solo from their home address - a minimum of 17.48 miles each over the 24 hour period from 12noon on Saturday 16 May to 12noon on Sunday 17 May.
“We all reside in the local area and it gives us great pride knowing that, by utilising what we love doing in our spare time, it is going to help the wider community by supporting the James Paget.”
The 50-strong team have already raised more than £1,100 of their £2,000 target via the page they have created on our charity website and if you’d like to support their efforts you can visit the page here; https://www.jpaget-charity.org.uk/Fundraisers/lejog-running-challenge
