Story Alert Bob Hayward & Nick Baldock have now run 31 consecutive marathons out of the 34 it will take to get to John O’Groats from Land’s End and in doing so have covered over 800 miles. This is all in aid of Podge the 13 year old boy who was so badly burnt in an attack last May.

Dorncoh to Helmsdale, what a beautiful red sky greeted them this morning! Ooops red sky in the morning = shepherds warning. Brooding clouds swept in by wind eager to get to sea it was an unusual north–easterly, definitely kite weather. Where is Winnie the Pooh? It must be Windsday. While they did get a sprinkling of rain it was the two oil rigs out on the horizon that caught most it the wet stuff, from the safety of the road it look like a grey sheet had been hung out over the sea covering both of the rigs.

Today’s saying comes from a taxi driver they stopped to ask directions ... No, they jest he was interested in why two blokes would be crawling on their hands and knees along the A9. When they described their purpose and goal of John O’Groats he said “Just you wait for those hills in Helmsdale and Berriedale even the artics use first gear!” Apart from that unwarranted form of encouragement they’d noticed that the drivers of all vehicles are more responsive to them on the road, they were being given more room and getting a more pronounced wave back. Friendly people up here definitely.

It feels odd to be on a coast road with a railway line running along side (some houses can only be accessed by actually crossing a railway line! – great planning guys!) Ancient castles and forts on the cliff edge to their right, the smell of seaweed & pine combined. Odd but very very nice. The road undulated today, undulated nicely, mainly rising over all but more than manageable for two novice runners!

All the villages have a sea side feel and there are some beautiful beeches with soft sand the sea looks shallow for a long way out. With the sunshine today you could almost imagine this being an “undiscovered holiday resort.” Here the unreliable levels of sunshine may be a limiting factor.

They had to buy a new pan today, a cooking utensil, Nick is loving the opportunity to express his culinary bent, but the teflon on one pan just wasn’t in the same league. Not Nick’s fault they assure you, he is enjoying cooking and they are loving the eating of said delights. A good run, a good shower, a good meal and it’s good night from them.