Dedicated Redditch man Doug bids to finish round-the-world marathon effort - The Redditch Standard

Dedicated Redditch man Doug bids to finish round-the-world marathon effort

Redditch Editorial 25th Jan, 2018   0

REDDITCH adventure runner Dr Doug Richards is taking on the final frontier in his round-the-world marathon challenge this year – with a run in Antarctica.

In the year in which he will also be celebrating his 70th birthday, veteran runner Doug will be heading south to complete a lifetime’s ambition of running at least a half marathon on each of the planet’s seven continents.

In early March he will begin his two-week adventure in Buenos Aires in Argentina before continuing on to Ushuaia, the capital of Tierra del Fuego – an archipelago at South America’s southernmost tip – to board a Russian polar vessel that will be his home for the ten-day expedition to the ‘last continent’ on his list.

“It is an ambition I set myself some years ago,” said Doug, author of Running Hot & Cold.




“It will be a tough challenge even getting there with a long sea journey through the roughest seas in the world and there can be no guarantee the race will even take place as the weather can be so unpredictable.

“However, fingers crossed that all goes according to plan and I achieve my goal. Once again I will be supporting the Midlands Air Ambulance charity which does such fantastic work in saving lives by getting patients to hospital in the shortest possible time while providing advanced medical care on board.”


So far the intrepid grandfather has raised more than £4,500 for the charity and, with his race on King George Island in the Antarctic, he is hoping to boost his funds further still.

The England Athletics Mental Health Ambassador is also a regular at Arrow Valley parkrun and a run leader with several local groups.

Visit JustGiving to support his campaign.

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