Friends from Bedfordshire village cover cross-country trail in support of children with cancer

A pair of friends from Clophill ran more than 40 miles to raise funds for a children’s cancer charity.

Anne Walsh and Vikki Dear took on the Greensand Country Challenge, following the Greensand Ridge, a long-distance trail which runs from Leighton Buzzard to Gamlingay.

The pair were inspired to lace up their running shoes to raise money for Children’s Cancer and Leukaemia Group (CCLG) by three young girls they know who have been diagnosed with cancer.

Anne said: “We looked at CCLG and the work they do as a charity supporting families, and with their research, which is incredibly important for change and finding solutions, which in the future will benefit more children.

“So, we wanted to do something to help and were looking at different ideas.

“We’d been out running regularly together, though not very far, to keep fit and keep our minds busy during lockdown.

“When we were on one of those runs, we thought we could do a fundraising challenge that tested our mental and physical stamina, and struck upon the idea of running the 40-plus miles of the Greensand Ridge.”

Anne and Vikki split the challenge into four sections, completing the full cross-country route over four days, within four weeks, in October. Though they they faced some tough conditions and many steep inclines.

Anne said: “We did three runs that were nine-and-a-half miles. The first was tough, and very wet and quite muddy, on a tricky route.

“The bigger one was quite a challenge, it was 16-and-a-half miles, and we hadn’t realised it was going to be quite that long, as we put two routes together.

"There were times when we both wanted to give up on it, but we really started thinking about why we were doing it and who we were doing it for.”

So far, the pair have raised more than £1,200. To donate, visit here