Six days, two half-marathons... and a FAB costume
On Sunday 10th September, Phil Derych, a keen supporter of Samaritans and support volunteer at Northallerton and The Dales, will be lining up alongside 57,000 other runners on the start line of this year's Great North Run, in a bid to raise funds for our branch. This year, the Great North Run coincides with World Suicide Prevention Day – giving Phil even greater impetus to succeed in his quest.
Visit Phil's VirginMoneyGiving page
En route, he'll endure a 13.1 slog from Gateshead to South Shields which, we're told, gets pretty gruelling after about 7 or 8 miles, particularly in post-summer heat! Six days later, on Saturday 16th September, Ripon Castle presents him with an even bigger, muckier challenge: Yorkshire Warrior. 20 kilometres, many obstacles, lots of pain. That's 26 miles, 20-odd obstacles, and countless blisters, within the agonisingly short space of a week. To add to his challenge, he'll be running the GNR in costume.... there's a sneak peak in the video below.
Phil is hoping that the thought of him hobbling over the finish line will spark a significant string of donations, which will enable our branch to continue providing what he calls "an incredible and invaluable service". Watch the video below to hear why he is taking on this daunting challenge:
All donations great and small are welcome, so if you would like to support and can spare something towards this campaign, Phil sends a huge thank you in advance, and you can donate by clicking on this link:Visit Phil's VirginMoneyGiving page. It takes just a few minutes and, if you are a UK taxpayer, we can reclaim Gift Aid too.
Phil is setting his sights on raising £300, so please share this page on social media, at work, with friends and family, using the 'Share with your Network' Facebook and Twitter icons below.