Chance to join in a world record-breaking marathon run

A man who is trying to set a world record by running 401 marathons in 401 consecutive days is appealing for help from people in Storrington.
Marathon runner Ben Smith and Michelle Green of Southdown Fitness SUS-160324-161846001Marathon runner Ben Smith and Michelle Green of Southdown Fitness SUS-160324-161846001
Marathon runner Ben Smith and Michelle Green of Southdown Fitness SUS-160324-161846001

Ben Smith will be running through the village on Saturday April 16 and Tuesday April 19 - and wants as many people as possible to run some of the route with him.

Ben is aiming to run the string of marathons all around the UK to not only break a record but also to raise £250,000 for charities Kidscape and Stonewall.

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By the time he gets to Storrington he will be on marathon numbers 229 and 232, having started last September.

Ben says anyone who takes part in Storrington does not need to run far or fast - he welcomes everyone to run with him for any distance: for a mile, 26.2 miles or anything in between.

He runs at about an 11 minute mile pace which,he says, is gentle - and he stops regularly for breaks and refreshments.

He will be setting off from Chanctonbury Leisure Centre car park at 10am on both mornings and will be doing a 13.1 mile route twice, around Storrington, along the bottom of the Downs, through Parham to Amberley and back to the leisure centre.

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As part of the Tuesday run he will be going to Rydon and Storrington First School to run with the children.

Ben also welcomes non-running support as he is living in a mobile home while he completes the challenge. He would welcome any offers of a cooked meal, or a load of washing doing.

To find out more and to donate visit http://www.the401challenge.co.uk To find out more about what he will be doing in Storrington and the exact route contact Michelle Green on [email protected]

By the end of Tuesday April 19 Ben will have run a total of 232 consecutive marathons. This amounts to 6,078 miles which is the current distance from Bristol - Ben’s start location - to Bangkok, Thailand.

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He has already broken the Guinness World Record for most marathons run in most consecutive days, the male record currently stands at 52.

He has currently raised £38,000 for Anti-Bullying charities Kidscape and Stonewall via a Virgin Money Giving fundraising page.