Fundraiser takes part in gruelling 24-hour challenge for Albion in the Community
Gary Blackman will be putting his body to the test in July, as he will be lacing up his running shoes for Endure24. The keen athlete revealed that this will be the toughest test he has faced yet.
In our sit-down interview with Gary, the 49-year-old modestly described himself as a “bit of a runner”. He then went onto share that he’s taken part in 41 marathons, 54 half marathons, and the demanding Ironman Triathlon.
Nevertheless, he’s now to set to take on the greatest challenge of his running career in a bid to raise money for Albion in the Community (AITC).
“This event is called Endure24, which is a 24-hour run based in Henley. They call it the Glastonbury for runners,” he jokingly shared.
Around 4,000 people will be competing in the day-long run, with the majority of participants running as a team. Although, Gary will be one of the 150 daring individuals who plan to complete the race by themselves.
The fundraiser has a close connection with Brighton & Hove Albion and subsequently felt that AITC was the perfect organisation to raise money for. Additionally, Gary is an admirer of the thousands of people that AITC help on a daily basis.
“I have always been touched and amazed by the people that the charity supports,” he said. “They are, in ways, less fortunate than you and me but do amazing things with a smile on their face, when it must be incredibly hard to do so in some cases.”
Gary has taken inspiration from these people and will be pushing his body to the very limit during the 24-hour race. Alongside fatigue, he will also battle against sleep deprivation in a selfless act to raise money for AITC.
If you would like to support both Gary and the charity, you can visit his Just Giving page here.
Furthermore, if you’re interested in raising money for AITC, please contact fundraising@bhafcfoundation.org.uk or visit our website bhafcfoundation.org.uk.