Issue 541 – £2,300 from 125 mile challenge

Story posted on December 7, 2011

Positive Action on Cancer (PAC) has received a cheque for over £2,300 from Nigel Arbury’s successful mission to run the 125 miles from Chipping Campden to Frome.

The total amount of money raised was £2,356.00, plus gift aid. Nigel’s route was the Cotswold way to Bath and then a newly devised route of 25 miles from Bath to Frome, which has been named the PAC way in honour of the charity. His running time was 37.5 hours and the overall time was 47.5 hours, therefore completing the challenge in less than 48 hours.
Nigel said “I did enough training and I was ready for the challenge. The Cotswold way is like climbing Snowdon every 25 miles! However it is superbly maintained and the best marked trail I have ever been on”.
An old injury slowed Nigel down after 73 miles at Wortley. Nigel had an accident some years ago when he tore the ligaments in his ankle. As a consequence his ankle swelled up and was extremely painful and left him no alternative but to walk the rest of the way. In spite of this, Nigel said at the finish, “l really enjoyed it and am ready to do another”!
Martin Bax, head of the support team said, “Nigel is exceptional in his determination to finish no matter what and nothing will stop him. I have witnessed this now over the l0 challenges we have done together.”
Nigel was fortunate that Les Drage had agreed to help on the support team. He was Nigel’s running partner in the other 9 challenges but was unable to partner Nigel on this one as he has recently had two hip replacements. However he was able to walk with Nigel a good deal of the remaining route after Wortley and was especially helpful during the night sections.
Martin said, “l was very fortunate to have such a great support team with Les, Nigel’s wife Heather, who is a nurse and able to advise on the injury, and Steve Aylmer who also walked some of the final sections with Nigel. We were also delighted to have the support of James Blockley, the National Trails officer for the Cotswold Way and Jean Booth, chairman of the wardens. I should also like to thank the landlady of the Air Balloon pub at Birdip very much indeed for all her help and support and Carl, the landlord of the Griffin Inn in Frome which was our final destination, for all his generous hospitality”.
Positive Action on Cancer offers free, professional counselling to adults and children affected by cancer and other life-threatening illnesses. Their support helps relieve the emotional suffering of patients, their families and carers and those who who have been bereaved to enable them to live the best quality of life possible. Nigel and Martin hope that the PAC Way will become established and that other runners will use this route on a regular basis to raise money for the charity.
Pictured top: Martin Bax, centre, donates the funds on Nigel’s behalf to Kelly Hall and Mary Taylor of PAC. Pictured: above, Nigel Arbury finishes his walk, congratulated by Martin Bax.