AN INJURED runner is tackling the 1,000-mile trek from John O'Groats to Land's End – and no number of broken bones will stop him.
Stephen Murphy, 56, set off from the most northerly point on the British mainland on August 5 and is aiming to hit Land's End on Saturday – running the equivalent of two marathons a day. But his training and run have been hampered by a ruptured tendon and a broken bone in his foot.
"I'm aiming to complete the distance in 20 days," the Reigate resident said.
"But if it takes longer, then so be it. I will just keep going until I've achieved the distance."
Despite describing himself as an "ordinary runner", Mr Murphy is no stranger to outrageous running challenges.
In 2006 he completed the North Pole Marathon – a 26.2-mile race over the frozen waters of the Arctic Ocean which only about 300 people have ever completed.
The next year he ran 26.2 miles from El Ayoun, Morocco, across the Sahara Desert to the city of Smara.
But running the length of the UK – the equivalent of around 38 marathons – has long been an ambition of his.
"I heard about this route from a friend six years or so ago and have wanted to tackle it myself ever since," he said.
"We were celebrating having completed the North Pole Marathon in 2006 and started talking about other crazy runs we would like to take on in our lifetimes. After that, I did the Sahara Marathon in 2007.
"Now this one will be another great challenge as I am a keen running club member but not a super-fit athlete in any way at all."
So far Steve's odyssey has raised £5,910 for his chosen charity – the John Warrender Fund, which supports residents at the Reigate and Redhill YMCA's Hillbrook House in Brighton Road, Redhill.
He is paying all his running expenses himself and is accompanied by a support car which was initially driven by his youngest son Stephen, 19, until his oldest son Kieran, 27, took the wheel in Manchester on Sunday.
His wife Christine, who has been keeping in touch with her husband via Facebook during his run, said: "I'm very, very proud of him, he has done this for such a worthy cause and to take this on is massive.
"I am looking forward to having him home though. I don't know if that will be Saturday or not. He'll be running that day so he might stay in Land's End and come home the next day."
Reigate and Redhill YMCA chief executive Ian Burks, who joined Steve on his run, posted on Twitter: "Privilege to run alongside Steve Murphy on day 4 of his epic 1000 mile Jogle [John O'Groats to Land's End] run. I only managed 10 [miles]."
To support Steve, visit www.virginmoneygiving.com/SteveMurphy2
