The Longest Day Run. What's it all about?

One week ago I had this little idea; it was inspired by a charity event I'd completed a couple of times a few years back. That event was called the "Longest Day Challenge", and involved playing 4 rounds of golf on the longest day of the year. Three mates and myself spent the best part of 16 hours on the golf course, and managed to raise over £5,000 for a charity very close to our hearts.


So, why the "Longest Day Run", you may be wondering? Well, since my golf challenges, most of my fundraising & indeed sport has been through my running. My football career (in the loosest sense of the term) was ended at age 34 due to a broken leg & ruptured ankle ligaments, and I used running to get myself fit again & also to satisfy my competitive nature. In most cases I'm competing against myself, the clock, the hills, or the weather. I do, however, enjoy taking part in races; it helps me focus my training, and the sense of achievement & enjoyment is always great, especially when getting a new distance or time PB.


I realise that the previous paragraph didn't actually answer the question, so let me try again.


In recent years I've met many great people through Twitter and also through joining a running club and entering races. The best thing about running is that you can set your own targets & goals, and everyone has it within them to improve. I have a daydream that one day I'll get a team of runners together and we'll run from John O'Groats to Lands End and back in a big relay. I haven't gone as far as planning the route yet, but it's definitely on the bucket list.


I've still not answered the question have I?! This writing thing's not as easy as some people make it look. Right here goes:


The Longest Day Run is whatever you want it to be. It has no rules and no boundaries, no minimums & no maximums. It's for each of us to get out of it what would make us happy. I want Ultra runners to attempt to run over 100 miles & I want novices who have never run before to run at least one mile. I want people to challenge themselves & each other to achieve a new milestone, to do something they haven't done before. 


This is not a fixed distance, it's a fixed time. This is unusual for runners, we obsess about distance & how quickly we can get from start to finish. I'm hoping the planning & strategising brings a new element to people's training and gives them the opportunity to attempt a running challenge which they otherwise wouldn't try.


Here's the plan......


Between 12 Noon on Saturday 23rd June 2012 and 12 Noon on Sunday 24th the aim is quite simply to run as many miles as you feel you can.


You can do one long run, 10 shorter runs, or in fact any combination of runs over that time period. The aim is to set yourself YOUR challenge, and for everyone who takes part to encourage each other and help them to achieve their goal.


What if you can't do it between those times and on those dates? Then do it when you can. This is intended to include as many people as want to take part. 


Run with friends, run on your own, run wherever you are in the world. There's no need to be on Twitter, to upload your data to the internet, or to blog live from the open road. All I ask is that people state an intention to take part, and then provide me with details of the miles they manage to amass during their chosen 24 hours. 


I don't know how many people will take part, or how many miles we'll cover as a group, but let's see where this thing can go. If at the end of it people have enjoyed the challenge, possibly raised some money for a charity that means something to them, and made some new friends, then it will have been worthwhile.


This is not MY event, this is OUR event. I just had the crazy idea (unless somebody else somewhere in the world is doing the same thing!) Let's show people why running is so great, and why runners are great people. If we could each encourage a non runner to take part then we are spreading a great message.


The charity angle is something I've not fully formulated in my mind yet, but I am open to all suggestions. There's probably a clever way for people to communicate via this blog, but as a novice I've no idea how, yet.


Those on Twitter can chat via @longestdayrun or to my main account @mazymixer. Anybody who wants to email me can do so at longestdayrun@hotmail.co.uk 


This is still very early days, but I just wanted to get the concept out there and see how it develops. Please feel free to customise YOUR Longest Day Run and to suggest any ideas which will make it more fun/challenging/rewarding for all of us.


Thanks for reading my waffle (assuming you got this far!)


Until the next blog......


Cheers


Simon


P.S. Please spread the message as far and wide as you can. Thanks.