150 Mile Run Round the Inside of the M25

We did it!

We completed the LOOP Challenge for Adam!

From the very first miles, conditions tested us. Wet grass on Saturday morning left our shoes and socks soaked almost immediately, and by 31 miles we were already dealing with blister management. Navigation in the dark proved harder than expected, leading to wrong turns and delays. We finally reached our main overnight stop at 2:30 am — hours later than planned — leaving barely enough time to eat, rehydrate, tend to blisters, change, and try to rest. Malcolm managed an hour of sleep, but Nick couldn’t get his eyes closed at all.

We set off again at 6 am Sunday, knowing it would mean more night running later, but it was the right call to be better prepared. Even so, both of us soon felt the toll of blisters and sore feet. The LOOP’s terrain never stopped changing — stony paths, gravel, sand, rutted tracks, grassy stretches — and in the dark we even had to cross a ploughed field that felt like an obstacle course designed to twist ankles and aggravate blisters.

As Sunday wore on, fatigue and sleep deprivation caught up with us. Hallucinations began. The wind picked up, temperatures dropped, and even layered up in hats, gloves, and windproofs we hovered on the edge of being too cold — we had to keep moving at a decent pace just to stay warm.

There were more setbacks: at 132 miles we had to double back up a hill after finding a locked gate; at 142 miles in Fulkwell the skies suddenly opened, and only the cover of a few trees saved us from being drenched after we’d foolishly left our rain jackets behind. Later, Bushy Park was closed, forcing another long detour. By this stage we knew the challenge would far exceed the 150 miles we had planned.

Through exhaustion, blisters, stomach problems, cold, heat, rain, steep climbs, wrong turns, closures, and endless miles, we pushed on. Finally, at 6:30 am on Monday — 50 hours after setting out from the same spot — we reached Bourne Hall in Ewell.

It was, without doubt, the hardest thing either of us has ever done. But even at our lowest moments, we reminded ourselves that our suffering was temporary. It is nothing compared to the daily, relentless battles faced by children with cancer and their families.

To everyone who donated, shared, followed, ran with and supported us — thank you. You are all absolute heroes, and you have made a massive difference!