Ross in epic run for charity

by Lucy Stephens

MELBOURNE’S Ross Danby has completed a remarkable 113-mile run around some of the UK’s most beautiful terrain in memory of his wife Jacqui – and raised thousands for charity in doing it

Ross undertook the epic Lake District challenge over the May bank holiday weekend, running around all 26 of its main lakes, waters and meres

Taking just over 46 hours to complete the whole distance, including 23,000 feet of ascent, Ross said he was happy to have achieved the arduous feat

Support from Lee Partington, also from Melbourne, meant he was able to run just with water and food for legs of between six and 12 miles

Further support came from the weather which was very helpfully “glorious”, he said – if anything, too hot!

“Anyone will tell you it’s so much easier when the weather ’s in your favour,” he said

But running 113 miles around The Lake District was still a very tough gig to take on

“I thought that if I managed to get through day one, I’d have a chance,” said Ross “There were three big climbs in and out of valleys and over mountain tops It hurt by the end

“There’s a photo of me arriving into Thirlmere and I look totally exhausted My thighs hurt a lot It’s the running down steep gradients that completely does you My legs were like jelly ”

Day two of the challenge involved covering 41 miles and two big mountains, after which, Ross said, he “could hardly move”

He said: “I was wondering how I would manage day three It started slowly, but just got better and better Once I’d ascended the last big mountain range I was running freely and by the time I arrived back at Grasmere, my starting point, my legs were turning over freely

“It was a beautiful clear blue sky day and I jumped straight in the lake when I got there!”

The earliest person to take on the challenge in the 80s did it in just over 35 hours, and the fastest time was under 20 – which noone since has even got close to

“I’m just happy to have managed it at all!” said Ross

The challenge was in aid of Macmillan Cancer and Treetops Hospice, both of which supported the Danby family through the illness and passing of Jacqui in 2022

So far Ross has raised around £3,000 for both charities and his fundraising pages are still open until the end of June, for any Village Voice readers who would like to donate

The fundraising pages can be found here: tinyurl com/mv7rjspk and here tinyurl com/muteh72y