Namibian Desert Ultra Marathon for charity
Tuesday 15th November 2022
Jack Tunney
Namibian Desert Ultra Marathon for charity
250km in 5 stages over 5 days
Daytime temperatures of 35°C - 55°C ☀️
Sand dunes and scrubland 🏜
Namibia 📍
Yep, that’s me. You’re probably wondering how I ended up in this situation….
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During the first lockdown I was sat in the garden with my dad and a couple bottles of red wine. He was showing me a video of a Desert Ultramarathon and giving me copious lines of inspiration.
My dad is a bit of a seasoned ultra-runner so for some people, they’d probably say this run was inevitable for me. I’d say the amount of red I had sunk was what sealed it though.
Talk about a hangover..
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Over the past 18 months we’ve been putting our bodies through the ropes, all in the knowledge of this race to come.
Over 5 days, my dad and I will aim to complete 6 marathons in a self-sufficient race, carrying everything needed apart from water for the duration! You can see more here - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QFNzF7vQWpY
It’ll be the biggest physical test in my life so far, so I thought it only right to raise some money and awareness for a couple of amazing causes close to my heart in the process.
First up: Chron’s and Colitis UK - https://crohnsandcolitis.org.uk/
As some of you will know my Mum has Crohn's, a life-long health condition that comes with some very real ups and downs. Seeing her strength dealing with this has been a constant course of inspiration and shaped who I am today. She recently completed the Berlin Marathon a couple weeks back and I truly believe that the awareness / support this charity provided over her life has played a part in enabling her to achieve amazing feats.
For those who aren’t aware, Chron’s is an auto-immune disease whereby your immune system attacks your gut causing chronic inflammation. It can cause digestive complications, abdominal pain, and weight loss. In severe cases, the disease can become life-threatening.
I’m incredibly lucky that, through countless surgeries, steroids, and immuno suppressants, my mum is able to manage her condition. But it’s so important that we raise awareness and understanding to fund research that improves diagnosis and treatment.
Secondly: Barnabus - https://www.barnabus-manchester.org.uk/
You can’t live and work in Manchester’s property scene without being painfully aware of the city’s homelessness problem. While on the one hand it’s amazing to be a part of a sector that’s going from strength to strength, I wanted a way to do my bit to help those less fortunate in the city.
Barnabus is an incredible charity that supports Manchester’s homeless community - working closely with the most vulnerable people to help them find a way back into society.
They do so much to help the homeless situation in Manchester and are certainly worthy of every bit of support.
You can track all my race prep here - https://www.strava.com/athletes/25867241
£5,595.00
+£786.25 Gift Aid
raised of £5,000 target
by 142 supporters