Sodexo marathon men clock up 1,000 miles

Sodexo's Tim Fagan, Ian Hamer, Jeremy Dicks, Nick Humphreys, Paul Thompson, Andy Bailey, Chris Bray and Andy Rogers on their return to Aldershot.

A group of Sodexo Defence employees ran a staggering 1,000 miles in six days, from John O'Groats to Land's End, to raise more than £15,000 for Sodexo's STOP Hunger campaign and SSAFA Forces Help.

Andy Rogers, Andy Bailey, Chris Bray, Jeremy Dicks, Tim Fagan, Nick Humphreys, Ian Hamer and Paul 'Tomo' Thompson completed the 1,000 mile route, as part of a wider effort to reach Sodexo Defence's fundraising target of £50,000 for the company's STOP Hunger campaign, which funds projects dedicated to combating poor nutrition in local communities.

Splitting into two teams, each with a van, the runners took it in turns to run for an hour at a time whilst one person drove, one navigated and the other rested in the back. Another Sodexo Defence employee, unit manager Rob Bailey, drove an all important support vehicle containing essential supplies.

After crossing the border into England, the teams made speedy progress south, braving damaged thigh muscles, swollen knees and blisters to pass through Lancaster, Warrington, Shrewsbury, Gloucester and Taunton on their way to Land's End.

Karl Martin, managing director, Sodexo Defence, showed his support by joining the teams in Devon, running alongside them for three hours before waving them off to continue towards the finish line two days ahead of schedule.

Andy Bailey said: "We thought we might finish earlier than expected but I don't think any of us realised we could do it this quickly. We each ran three times a day, sometimes for over 20 miles, and only slept for three hours. It was as much a test of your mental strength as your physical ability. You can't prepare for something like this in the same way as a normal marathon, so you really need the support of your team to get through it. I'm delighted we did so well and I know everyone else is incredibly proud of what we've achieved."

The runners celebrated their achievement with a cold beer and a well earned night's sleep, before returning to Sodexo Defence's Aldershot headquarters for a welcome home barbeque the following day.

Words: Clare Riley

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