Finished!!

Bob Hayward & Nick Baldock have now run out of road after completing 33 marathons on their journey to John O’Groats from Land’s End and in doing so have covered over 880 miles. This is all in aid of Podge the 13 year old boy who was so badly burnt in an attack last May.

The final day, they can’t believe it is here. They do what they can to keep to the routine that has enabled them to run this far. Up at 5am, a light breakfast and on the road by 6am. The weather is kind to them again, while rain lashed the motor home most of the night, all they have to deal with is a moist warm mist. The adrenaline level is much higher than usual so their tired limbs relearn the art of walking and jogging much more quickly. The landscape is more barren, hardly any telephone poles up here. Dry stone walls have reappeared to replace the wire fences and breeze blocks from the last few days. The mist hides the sea off to their right, but they can sense it is there, curling ever closer into their path.

They break around 8.30am with just 6 miles to go and pull off the road to let Podge and his parents pass them without either party seeing each other. It might sound silly but they don’t want to see them until the finish post!

There is a hill just south of John O’Groats with a sign post at the bottom saying 3 miles to go! They climb the hill slowly savouring every moment, looking around them, smelling the sea and the pine, listening to the absolute stillness. Not even a bird in the sky. Some sights just lift you emotionally, like Redgrave and the boys winning gold, like Stuart Pearce scoring an international penalty, like reaching the top of the hill outside John O’Groats and finding the end of the road. The sea has finally won, it has drawn itself across their path. Beyond a short stretch of briny lies the Orkneys, in the mist they look desolate and harsh, the good news is there is no bridge, no path, no road whatsoever! That more than running into the village of John O’Groats will be the abiding memory for Bob.

Once they stopped jumping up and down at the sight of the Orkneys (did I say jumping? A feat not seen for many a week, crawl yes, drag yes, but jump no ... ) they settled into a steady trot to bring them home.

From 200 yards away, they saw a crowd of some 20 people, hmmm, larger than expected. They could see Podge, Marie, Arthur and the two younger children Dominic and David, they could see Chris the manager/driver for the week, but who were the rest of them? You guessed it, rent a crowd, a group of tourists that weren’t expecting them any more than they were, but heck if a crowd shows up they deserve a show. They ran for the famous sign post who has family in Lands End, they touch and they stop. STOP!!!

The road has ended. Cuddles, champagne thrown over them, camera flashes, presents pressed into their hands. Wow, they made it! Over 880 miles, 34 marathons. Aches and pain disappears as they skip around, greeting unsuspecting tourists as much as their visitors. Both their phones bleep with messages, ring incessantly with family, media and well wishers. Tired? Who’s tired? You will be boys when this adrenaline runs out in about 1 hour .....