John O'Groats to Lands End World Record Attempt
On the 23rd July, Bryce Alford, the star of BBC3's fitness programme Hercules, will be attempting to break the World Record running from John O'Groats to Lands End in 9 days in aid of the Breakthrough Breast Cancer charity.
Bryce previously raised over £13,000 for Breakthrough breaking the Guiness World record for the longest run on a treadmill, running 100km in 10 hours 37 minutes!
His next record attempt will take him from John O'Groats to Inverness, Edinburgh, Blackpool, Lancaster, Bristol, Exeter, Plymouth, finally arriving in Lands End some 860 miles later. He hopes this run will raise £100,000 for Breakthrough.
Bryce and his back up team will be using an Elddis Autoquest 300 motorhome as a support vehicle during the record attempt. The motorhome should be easy to spot as it carries the Breakthrough and other sponsors logos.
To help Bryce acheive his target, to help out along the way or simply to find out more please contact Barbara on 020 7025 2431 or email Bryce at infinityfitnesspt@hotmail.com
Donations can also be made to the Bryce Alford Run account at the Nat West bank, account no 36158585, sort code 560063.
His father Malcolm, 73, will accompany Bryce for part of the run along with two sports therapists and his fiancé Jo Davies, 31, who Bryce will marry on August 20.
He also has another talisman that he believes will keep him going - the memory of his mother, Averil, who died of breast cancer in 1990.
"This run is nothing compared to what my mother went through and I know she will be with me, cheering me on, just as she did when I was a boy playing football. She's always with me," said Bryce, who already has two Guinness World Records for his feats of stamina.
Local businesses, including the Western Morning News, have already pledged some £50,000, and Bryce is confident that a car raffle and a firewalk this week will help him reach his target of £100,000.
To break the record, Bryce has a harsh regime of travelling 100 miles a day, running for two hours and resting for one.
He will be living on a diet of smoothies made from avocado, almond milk and meat replacement powder; bowls of spaghetti and some chocolate. He has four pairs of trainers that he will wear in rotation, and during the one-hour breaks, he will relax with a massage.
Runners inspired by his dedication will also be joining him along the route, from as far away as the Mull of Kintyre, Glasgow and Chelmsford.
However he brushes off any comparisons with American film hero Forrest Gump. "People followed Forrest Gump because they thought he was running for a reason, which he wasn't. There can be no better reason than the one we are running for," he said.
Published: 22/07/2004
