VIDEO: Former Park House School head Derek Peaple runs 60 miles over two days in Swansea to raise money for Bowel Cancer UK

A former secondary school headteacher ran 60 miles over two days to celebrate his 60th birthday and has raised more than £2,400 for charity in the process.

Derek Peaple turned 60 last September and was originally meant to take on the monumental challenge in October, but he had to postpone due to injury.

The former head of Park House School recovered, got a few more miles back in his legs and ran the 60 miles along a route in Swansea in Wales on Monday, January 27, and Tuesday, January 28.

He said: “It went very well indeed.

“It seemed like a good idea to combine raising some funds for an important charity and an important cause with getting into some sort of physical shape again and making a statement about reaching 60.”

Mr Peaple has so far raised £2,452 for Bowel Cancer UK, a charity he chose to support in memory of his father-in-law John Smith who passed away from the disease in 2008.

He said he was “absolutely delighted” with the amount of money he’s raised and said that people had been “fantastically generous” with their support.

He added: “There was a personal drive there as well.

“I’ve been hugely grateful for the support of Jackie, my wife, and James, my son, and my mother-in-law Jean and my sister-in-law Julie.”

Mr Peaple has been interested in running ever since he joined Newbury Athletic Club when he was 13 years old, going on to take part in competitive middle-distance races for the club.

When he took over headship of Park House in his 30s, Mr Peaple began to run longer distances after he started running marathons to raise money for charity.

The former Park House head – who retired from the post in 2020 after 17 years at the Andover Road school – has taken part in five London Marathons, with his best time coming in at under three hours.

Mr Peaple decided to complete his 60-mile challenge in Swansea because it is where his family is from and he has “very happy memories” of spending his childhood summer holidays in Wales.

His 10-mile route took him from the marina in Swansea and along the seafront to Mumbles before he came back again.

He did this six times over the two days to reach his 60-mile goal.

Despite stormy weather and 50mph winds, Mr Peaple managed to run the first 30 miles in five hours and 17 minutes on the first day and the second 30 miles in five hours and eight minutes on the second day.

He was supported all the way by his “professional colleague and long-term friend” Mark Lawrie, CEO of youth sport charity StreetGames, who cycled the whole route with him and readily supplied him with bottles of Lucozade Sport and Jelly Babies, as well as his son James who lives in Swansea and provided the team with a base for proceedings.

To donate to Mr Peaple’s Bowel Cancer UK fundraiser, visit https://rebrand.ly/6a09f7