Bravo, Mark!

Huge congratulations to our Area Farms Manager, Mark Ireland, who has smashed his fundraising target despite having to retire from an endurance challenge through injury.

Mark completed 60 of the 80 mile Hardwolds challenge last weekend before a fall in the rain and the dark caused an ankle injury that forced him to retire.

Of the disappointment, Mark said: “It’s the first time that I’ve never finished a race and it had to be this one, but on the plus side, I have more than doubled my fundraising target and I may be able to play the sympathy card to raise a bit more!”

Mark set himself a target of £500 for Papworth Hospital Charity in memory of our Technical Manager Helen Bettley, who passed away earlier this year. His current total stands at £1,310, with more donations welcome at www.papworthhospitalcharity.org.uk/appeal/mark-ireland-runs-the-hardwolds-80.

Although Mark only started running in 2015, he is no stranger to ultra-marathon events having completed the Hardmoors 55, the Lakeland 50 mile and the 100k Race to the Stones. Mark was one of over 200 athletes who took on the Hardwolds challenge from Hessle to Filey that was won by Cees van der Land in a time of 12 hours and 24 minutes.

Mark is hoping that he will be recovered in time for his next challenge, a 30 mile race on New Year’s Day as part of  the Hardmoors Grand Slam 2019.

You can listen to Mark telling BBC Radio Humberside’s Phil White about his Hardwolds experience here – it starts about 41 minutes in.