Billingshurst runner's gruelling challenge

TACKLING a marathon may sound like a challenge to some but a Billingshurst man took it several steps further when he ran five marathons in under 40 hours - and his journey included the peaks of the five highest mountains in the UK and Ireland.

Mark Dormon, 21, is now resting his aching limbs and blistered feet after completing the formidable five peak marathon challenge.

The gruelling schedule took in Scafell Pike (England), Snowdon (Wales), Carrantuohill (Eire), Slieve Donard (Northern Ireland) and Ben Nevis (Scotland), and it involved more than 2,000 miles of travel in a minibus. The whole trip took five days.

Mark decided to undertake the challenge because a fellow member of the Exeter University Officer Training Corps (OTC) has been fighting bowel cancer.

A group of five students trained for the event to raise awareness and money for both Bowel Cancer UK and the Army's Help for Heroes charity, which helps those wounded fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan. So far the team has raised £10,000.

Mark, who has recently graduated from Exeter University, ran with fellow students Rupert Laing, who organised the event, Simon Long, Tom O'Connell and James Boggis.

This is article is from the West Sussex County Times - Published Date: 04 November 2008