News - Richard Dunwoody - 1000 Mile Challenge Update!
At 2.58am on 3rd June, Richard Dunwoody reached the first landmark of his ‘1000 miles in 1000 hours’ challenge by reaching the ‘100 miles in 100 hours’ milestone.
Richard said: “I’ve had great support so far as well as a fair bit of stick from the Newmarket stable staff, but generally things have gone well. Just 900 to go….!”
Richard started the 1000 Mile Challenge on Friday 29th May at 11pm and is starting to get used to the sleep deprivation getting approx. four single hours every night.
His quickest mile to date has been 14 mins and 46 seconds, his slowest 16 mins and 53 seconds with an average of 16 mins and he is feeling quite strong, although obviously tired and mentally slightly ‘out of it’.
• This Sunday 7th June, Captain Barclay’s descendants will be joining forces with Spinal Research, one of the four charities the challenge supports, and along with staff and supporters from the charity, the Barclay family will walk a few miles with Richard. This will start at 10.40am with the aim to highlight the work that Spinal Research does and raise much needed funds
• Richard will be joined on 10th June by Mike Tomlinson who will walk for 24 miles in 24 hours with Richard. Mike says: “Jane and I first met Richard some years ago at the Great North Run and we were immediately greatly impressed with his enthusiasm to support great causes. It was an honour to be asked to accompany him for a few miles on his long walk and I'm just relieved my stint will only be 24 hours! As an added bonus one of the Charities Richard is supporting is SPARKS which is a cause that has long been close to our families hearts. This is a tremendous endurance effort from Richard and he has the support and best wishes from all of us at Jane's Appeal.”
• To also join Richard soon will be AP McCoy, Lawrence Dallaglio, Frankie Dettori, Mark Foster, Gabby Logan, Paddy Power and Jilly Cooper
About the 1000 Mile Challenge
• In 1809 Captain Robert Barclay was bet 1000 guineas that he couldn’t walk 1000 miles in 1000 consecutive hours and this was hailed as ‘one of the greatest human feats ever attempted’
• 200 years on, from 29th May to 10th July 2009, Richard Dunwoody is recreating the challenge, and will walk one mile every single hour for 42 days – from the Bedford Lodge hotel in Newmarket, up the Bury road and back again
• This means Richard will walk 24 miles in 24 hours, and can only have a maximum of an hour and 15 minutes sleep at any one time
• He aims to finish the 1000 miles by walking the last mile on 10th July at approx 2.20pm up the home straight of Newmarket racecourse on Darley July Cup day
• The four Charities that the 1000 Mile challenge supports are Racing Welfare, Alzheimer’s Society, Sparks and Spinal Research
• The challenge is supported by Barclays, Paddy Power, the Bedford Lodge Hotel, Nike, The Jockey Club, Tattersalls, Newton Investment Management, University of Ulster, the Charities Aid Foundation, Newmarket Racecourses, Lucozade, Hilton Water, British Horseracing Authority, Wild Frontiers and the Race Walking Association
“He’s mad but you’ve got to admire someone who is giving up sleep and effectively walking a marathon every day for 42 days for charity.”
Olympic swimmer Mark Foster
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