Hughenden Valley man to run 56 mile race (From Bucks Free Press)

Hughenden Valley man to run 56 mile race

8:00am Saturday 4th September 2010 in

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A 37-year-old man who only started running in January and said he could not even run for a bus is going to take on a 56 mile challenge.

Hughenden Valley resident Conor McKechnie will attempt to run the ultramarathon from London to Brighton tomorrow.

He is raising money for Refuge, the charity working against domestic violence towards women and children.

Mr McKechnie said: "In December 2009, I couldn't run a mile without stopping for breath, and now after eight months of preparation, I think I'm ready for the challenge.

"Before, I wouldn't even run for a bus, I'd wait for the next one, but now I've put in over 900 miles of training and am running nine hours a week, at least."

He hopes to run the 56 miles in under 13 hours.

The London to Brighton ultramarathon is an official qualifier for the Mont Blanc North Face Ultramarathon and competitors must also map-read and navigate footpaths, woodlands and downs across three counties without the aid of GPS devices.

Donations can be made to Refuge at http://www.justgiving.com/UltraRun4Refuge