On Sunday, coinciding with the London Marathon, KSN’s Steve Wolfe, ran what he describes as ‘the world’s worst marathon’ – to raise vital funds for life-saving charity Air Ambulance Charity Kent Surrey Sussex (KSS).
Steve ran 63 laps of a 670m circuit around a development close to his home, completing the 42.195km (the same distance as the London Marathon) in 4 hours, 12 minutes and 4 seconds.
This was his 15th marathon and his third fastest time. So far, he has raised over £750 for KSS, with donations still coming in.
Steve explained how the day went in the pouring rain:
“Running small circuits around the same area was incredibly dull and was very tough, which is why I described the challenge as ‘the world’s worst marathon’ – but I like to make challenges which are hard for myself!
“On Sunday over 30 people came to either run with me or to support me and I can’t thank everyone enough for this support. Having people come from miles away to be part of ‘the world’s worst marathon’ shows just what a great cause KSS is and how people want to play their part in helping a fantastic charity.
“Despite the weather, everyone who took part or supported me was in great spirits and I think the thought of cake at the end got us through!”
“I’m encouraged to see we smashed through my fundraising target of £500 and it spurs me on to carry on fundraising for KSS.”
Steve’s Run the World Challenge
Steve’s marathon was part of a larger challenge he has set himself – the Run The World Challenge – a virtual challenge which he believes will be a ‘world first’.
Steve continues, “Over six years ago I set myself a challenge of running every day for a year and loved doing this so much that I extended my running streak and am now challenging myself to run the distance around the world (40,075km) within 5,000 days, without a day off. So far, I have clocked up over 18,000km.
“Up until now I’ve enjoyed my daily runs but I felt they lacked purpose. Recently when I was at my local parkrun, one of the participants near me had a cardiac arrest. I gave him CPR and stayed with him until the KSS crew arrived to take over. They flew him to William Harvey Hospital and fortunately he has now made a full recovery.
“Having witnessed the incredible role KSS plays in helping to save lives and giving patients the best chance of survival, I decided to dedicate the rest of my Run The World Challenge to fundraising for KSS, starting with my marathon.”
Steve hopes to raise £10,000 for the life-saving charity.
Lola Inge, Running and Challenge Manager, KSS, says, “Steve is hugely inspiring and has undertaken an enormous challenge. We are incredibly grateful that he has chosen to support KSS and will be supporting him every step of the way!
“KSS is a charity and needs to raise £16.6M – the equivalent of £45K per day – to operate our 24/7 life-saving service. With 87% of our income raised through the generosity of our supporters, we rely on members of our local communities fundraising on our behalf. Every donation given to our fundraisers is hugely appreciated.”
Operating out of Redhill Aerodrome and headquartered in Rochester, KSS provides world-leading pre-hospital emergency care whenever and wherever required to save lives and ensure the best possible patient outcomes.
For further information about Air Ambulance Charity Kent Surrey Sussex:
To donate to KSS via Steve Wolfe’s fundraising page, please visit
https://www.justgiving.com/page/steve-wolfe-1678812420128