Newbury man prepares for six ultra-marathons

Colin Lee will run almost 200 miles in six days next month to raise money for charity

A NEWBURY man is preparing to run almost 200 miles in six days next month to raise money for charity.

Colin Lee is preparing to run six ultra-marathons (a distance greater than the standard marathon distance of 26.2 miles) to raise money for Naomi House Children's Hospice and Fight for Sight, a charity that funds medical research into blindness and eye disease.

He will start by taking on the Beacons Ultra on Sunday, November 19 - a 45-mile race in the Brecon Beacons, before attempting five further ultra-marathons in the next five days, running to Newbury from places such as Faringdon, Abingdon, Wallingford, Winchester and Avebury.

The 42-year-old, who modestly describes himself as a keen runner, said he wanted to do something noteworthy for charity, adding that he was calling the challenge ‘The Spider Tour'.

He said: “I have been focusing on this for a few months now and I am building up my distances, generally running at the crack of dawn before work.

“This is a big step up for me and it is therefore by no means a certainty that I will complete it.

“I have never done anything like this before so we will have to see.”

Mr Lee said he had previously run standard marathons (26.2 miles) and the Compton 40 to mark his 40th birthday, but said this was a new challenge, adding that he hoped to maximise the amount he could raise by making the challenge more interesting.

He said: “Naomi House do amazing work for people in need and I wanted to do something for a local charity.

“There is also a personal link with Fight for Sight as my mother is blind and I have raised money for them in the past.”

Mr Lee added that he was not currently associated with a running club, but said he enjoyed running and hoped to raise more than £1,000 for each of the two charities.

He will be accompanied by some friends for part of his challenge, but Mr Lee said that anyone wishing to join him on part of his routes would be welcome.

If you are interested in helping Mr Lee on his challenge, call 01635 45102.

To find out more or to donate to the cause, click on the link below.

Meanwhile, to follow Mr Lee's progress in training and during the ultr-amarathon challenge, follow @cloudrunner1 on Twitter.