Dunwoody Tackles Historic Challenge

“He’s mad but you’ve got to admire someone who is giving up sleep and effectively walking a marathon every day for 42 days for charity.” Olympic swimmer Mark Foster

Dunwoody Hits Quarter Mark - 9 June

Dunwoody Challenge Update

Dunwoody's Date with the Ladies

Ex Champion Jockey and Polar explorer Richard Dunwoody MBE has announced his ‘1000 Mile Challenge’.

On 29 May 2009 at 11.30pm, Richard Dunwoody will start a 1000 Mile Challenge and walk the same mile 1000 consecutive times (from the Bedford Lodge hotel in Newmarket up the Bury Road to a post half a mile away and back again) for a 1000 consecutive hours with the last mile up the home straight of Newmarket racecourse just before the Darley July Cup on 10 July 2009….

In 1809 Captain Robert Barclay Allardice was bet that he couldn’t walk 1000 miles in 1000 hours for 1000 Guineas – meaning he had to walk one mile in every consecutive hour 24 hours a day – the challenge therefore taking 42 days with the maximum an hour and 20 minutes sleep at any one time (if you walk back to back miles in different hours).

The bet from 200 years ago will be re-wagered and the articles of agreement signed. Present at this as well as Richard Dunwoody (pictured above on the right), will be the Mayor Elect of Newmarket, Humphrey Barclay the head of the Barclay family, and the Racewalkers Association… Paddy Power (pictured above left) will re-wager the bet.

He completed the challenge on 12 July 1809, losing three stone in the process with his challenge hailed as ‘one of the greatest human feats ever attempted’.

200 years on, champion jockey, polar explorer and BBC presenter, Richard Dunwoody MBE will recreate this challenge walking the same mile 1000 times in Newmarket – 1000 miles in 1000 hours, but this time to raise a substantial sum for charity – Alzheimer’s Society, Sparks, Racing Welfare and Spinal Research.

 In doing so, Richard aims to set an example to the nation to promote Walking the Way to Health, raise much necessary charity funds during tough economic times, as well as to promote sport in the build up to the 2012 Olympics. Famous faces will join Richard along the way and the University of Ulster School of Sports Studies will conduct an important physiological and psychological study into how the body copes with such a super test of human endurance.

There will also be simultaneous walks around the country for those seeking to actively participate in fund-raising as well as to follow Richard example in walking their way to better health.

Richard says: “My South Pole expedition last year was tough, but this might take it to a completely different level! 42 days with very little sleep could drive me to breaking point, but we’ve set ourselves an ambitious fund-raising target…and that’s what this challenge is about.”

Richard will blog the challenge every day on www.dunwoody1000mile.com as well as on Twitter and Facebook.

Partners include Barclays, Nike, The Jockey Club, Newton Investment Management, University of Ulster, the Charities Aid Foundation, Newmarket Racecourse, the Bedford Lodge Hotel, Walking the Way to Health, British Horseracing Authority, Wild Frontiers, the Race Walking Association and BHEST.

“Richard Dunwoody really IS Mr Incredible. His fundraising efforts over the years have been tremendous and we thought it would be tough to ‘cap’ trekking to the South Pole. But the ‘1,000’ miles walk does just that…you feel exhausted just thinking about it! It’s so typical of Richard - a man for whom no challenge is too big or too bizarre to take on.” Sparks co-presidents Gabby and Kenny Logan

Dunwoody Hits Quarter Mark - 9 June

Dunwoody Challenge Update

Dunwoody's Date with the Ladies