Two volunteer RNLI Helmsman raise over £3000 for their charity
Two RNLI volunteer helmsmen from opposite sides of the country swapped their lifejackets for running vests to tackle a gruelling 110-mile run, raising money for the RNLI.
Starting at 8am in Filey North Yorkshire the two RNLI volunteers ran along the Cleveland Way through Scarborough and Whitby then towards Saltburn before heading inland to the finish line in Helmsley.
Dave Barker, volunteer Helmsman at St Bees said: ‘The worst moment of the challenge was realising that my running partner Dave Scott would be unable to carry on after running 36 miles.’
Before the race, Dave Scott volunteer Helmsman/Mechanic at Redcar RNL, said: ‘We’ve been training really hard for this. We’ve done practice runs by splitting the route in two halves to make sure we knew what we were up against. We’ll be running as a team. Neither of us has run anything like this distance before so we’ll have to keep each other going.’
Although Dave was extremely disappointed not to have finished he was very pleased with the huge amount raised for the charity helping the RNLI in their aim to reduce preventable loss of life at sea.
The ultra marathon was run in some very cold wet and windy conditions taking on bogs, steep hills and some very steep steps. Dave Barker was helped throughout the event by a dedicated support team keeping him supplied with Doner Kebabs, Pizzas as well as drinks, clothing and moral support.
Dave Barker crossed the finish line in just over 30 hours including breaks, covering the distance of 112 miles at an impressive average speed of 12.5 mph.
Despite the difficult and sometimes wintry conditions Dave felt okay the next day and is currently in Oban training for the RNLI’s Flood Water Rescue Boat Operators course. He has three more ultra marathons planned for 2016, the Bob Graham Round, Lakeland 50, and St Begas Ultra SBU35.
RNLI Media contacts
For more information please telephone Colin Wadey, RNLI Volunteer Lifeboat Press Officer on: 07742207222 or email: [email protected]
Key facts about the RNLI
The RNLI charity saves lives at sea. Its volunteers provide a 24-hour search and rescue service around the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland coasts. The RNLI operates 238 lifeboat stations in the UK and Ireland and more than 240 lifeguard units on beaches around the UK and Channel Islands. The RNLI is independent of Coastguard and government and depends on voluntary donations and legacies to maintain its rescue service. Since the RNLI was founded in 1824, its lifeboat crews and lifeguards have saved over 146,000 lives.
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