My time, my legacy
A lifetime of writing and adventure + an extreme midlife running crisis. How can I put that to good use?
In July and August 2024, I will combine my abilities, running 2000 miles, linking every one of England’s 42 cathedral cities whilst telling the story of modern and historical England with a daily postcard blog.
The result of this will be a powerful legacy in words and deeds to help inspire the next generation.
If you’ve got 5 minutes, there’s a video of me explaining who I am and why I am capable of doing this.
The Route
30 miles/50km per day for 62 consecutive days
Every Cathedral City – from Newcastle to Canterbury, Truro to Carlisle
The run takes in:
Sustrans cycle routes – to promote urban-country exercise and wellbeing
5 National Trails
6 National Parks
Numerous National Landscapes (previously Areas of Natural Beauty)
Passing a vast collection of tourism highlights of England, from natural wonders to historical monuments to cultural celebrations and museums.
The Story Telling
Journey journal: Where I have been that day and what I found noteworthy
‘Where I live’ – interview snapshots with the people I meet about where they live and what they love
Fuel – Local cuisine from cheese in Cheddar to Balti in Birmingham and drink from tea tasting to local apple juice, I’ll also answer that crucial question, what’s the best pint in England?
Venues: Hotels, Wedding Venues, Conference Centres, Shopping Centres, Sports Grounds – all being reviewed in my FMBE Magazine.
Overnight stay: The place I stayed in and why the area attracts visitors.
Shopkeeping: From small independents through to our shopping and leisure centres, I will snapshot the mood and the data as I travel around the country, together with a look at the brands and culture that are defining the modern era. I’ll also chat with shopkeepers from tradional to modern pop-ups getting a true view of this nation of shopkeepers and our habits and expectations. A special edition of my FMBE magazine follows the tour tracking shopper and grocery habits.
The Natural World – I’ll pick out the flora and fauna of the day, celebrating life in urban gardens, parkland, farms and wilderness
Friends old and new – I’ll be connecting with friends all the way around the route, to meet, help, support and run with me, and also making new friends using the power of the Internet connecting with fans of my running and writing.
Club Scene – I’ll note any notable sports and outdoors clubs I come across, especially running, cycling, triathlon and long-distance walking and inviting club members to join me on each leg of the journey. This company will be helpful in terms of motivation, useful in terms of local knowledge, practical in terms of lifts and logistics.
Heroes and Villains – Famous folk and Cultural Icons – from William Shakespeare to Stephen Hawking, from Emmeline Pankhurst to Judy Dench, I’ll note the notables. I will live their stories too, using audio book and music content as I run.
Dog of the day – a daily chat with a dog walker.
Photo of the day – from village green cricket to summer carnivals, there will be a photo of the day selected from the daily album.
Events and Festivals – I’ll chart the ones we see and the ones that are hosted each summer in the places we go through creating a diary
Inspiration – What inspired me most that day. This will link to the charity programme.
The Charity Programme
The Tour of England’s ethos encourages and support the connection between urban life and outdoor wellbeing, with a leaning towards youth and youth development. You can get directly involved with through volunteering – which enables an ongoing legacy of support.
Brathay Trust
This is the charity I am raising funds for on the TOE. Inspiring young people to make positive changes (The Trust also organises the ASICS Windermere Marathon and the Brathay 10in10 fundraising events).
Yvent: Events and Adventures for underprivileged youth. Yvent is my own cause, currently formalising for charity status. We are going to work directly with charities like Brathay, and directly helping them with end of process solutions by providing guidance and work experience in the events, marketing and sales sectors via Field Marketing and Brand Experience agencies.
The Schedule
Saturday 22nd June – 1st preview day
A visit to Whipsnade, and Woburn Abbey, Bedfordshire including Dunstable Downs parkrun. The visit includes the Tree Cathedral at Whipsnade. This visit brings the tour to Bedfordshire one of the two counties that the main tour doesn’t reach.
Saturday 29th June – 2nd preview day
Pre Event day 1 – Drive to Buckinghamshire and Bedfordshire ahead of tour. Bucks and Beds are the only two English counties that my running tour doesn’t set foot in.
9am -Higginson Parkrun, Marlow followed by Thames Path walk then lunch at Tom Kerrdige’s Hand and Flowers Michelin 2* pub. Photoshoot at Bletchley Park. The evening is spent at Milton Keynes, with local ‘tour guide’, Jill Hawkins.
Sunday 30th June – 3rd preview day
10am, A 5k run at Caldecotte Lake. Then on for tourism day in Northumberland, including Holy Island and Bamburgh Castle and a walking tour of Newcastle.
Monday 1st July
Run Route – 33.8 miles
7.30am Greggs – 8am Newcastle Cathedral (1) – 9am Angel of the North – 11.30am – 12.30pm Durham Cathedral (2) – 2pm Spennymoor – 3pm – 3.30pm Bishop Auckland – 5.30pm Piercebridge
Afternoon: Charis to drive to Barnard Castle for her Dominic Cummings eye test.
Post Run: 7.30pm – 9pm Driving Tour – Richmond – Darlington – Piercebridge
Tuesday 2nd July
Run Route – 31 miles
7.30am Piercebridge – 10am Catterick – 11.30am – 12noon Bedale – 4pm Ripon Cathedral (3)
Afternoon: Charis to visit Fountains Abbey
Post run: Dinner in Harrogate
Wednesday 3rd July
Run Route – 30 miles
7am Ripon Cathedral 10.30am Linton 12noon – 12.30 Beningborough 2pm – 3.30pm York Minster (4) and City Centre – 4.30pm Copmanthorpe
Dress Code: Viking Helmet
Thursday 4th July
Run Route – 31 miles
6.30am Copmanthorpe 8am Tadcaster 9 – 9.30am Bramham Park 1pm Headingley and Kirkstall Abbey 2.30pm Pudsey (Link Comms) 4pm Bradford Cathedral (5)
Morning: Charis – tour of Aberford by car to see Almshouses
Post run: visit to City Centre and Trinity Leeds shopping centre and Saltaire, Bradford
Fuel: Symington’s (Leeds), Seabrook Crisps (of Bradford), Bitter
Friday 5th July
Run Route – 25 miles
7.30am Bradford Cathedral 10.30 Wakefield Cathedral (6) and gallery tour 12.15pm Wakefield Bridge & Chantry Chapel 1.30 – 2.30pm Pugneys Country Park to meet hand bikers and Wakefield Council ‘Our Year’ 3pm Newmillerdam Country Park 4.30pm Locke Park Barnsley
Afternoon: Charis to visit The Hepworth Gallery, Wakefield
Post Run: Drive to sunset in the Peak District, Edale Rocks
Fuel: Pontefract Cakes, Barnsley Chop
Saturday 6th July
Run Route – 29 miles plus Parkrun (Total 32 miles)
9am – 10am Barnsley Parkrun – Locke Park – 5km – 3 miles 1pm – 3pm Sheffield Cathedral (7) and City Centre, Museum of Videogames tour 5pm Rother Valley Country Park 7pm Worksop
Dress Code: Snooker Loopy/ Robin Hood
Morning: Charis to visit Creswell Crags and Clumber Park
Post run: Sherwood Forest
Fuel: Bingham’s potted beef with Henderson sauce.
Sunday 7th July
Run Route – 31 miles
8am Worksop 10-10.30am Retford 12.15 – 1.45pm Rampton, including van detour to Springhead Brewery, Laneham 5.30pm Lincoln Cathedral (8)
Morning: Vicki to visit Bassetlaw Museum
Post run: walking tour of Lincoln’s historic city centre including Steep Hill, Roman Gate, Medieval wall, Lincoln Imp and the International Bomber Command Centre.
Fuel: Lincolnshire sausages, Hazlet, a cheese meal at The Cheese Society incl Yellow Belly Cheese
Monday 8th July
Run route – 30 miles
9am Lincoln Cathedral 11.30am Newark Castle 12.30 – 1.30pm Kelham Hall 4 – 4.30pm Southwell Minster (9) 6pm Calverton village
Dress Code: The Pirates of Nick Faldo
Afternoon: Vicki to visit Museum of Timekeeping, and Southwell workhouse
Post run: Mr Mulligan’s Pirate Golf
Tuesday 9th July
Run route – 33 miles
8am Calverton 9am Gedling Country Park 10.30am Wollaton Hall 11.15am Ilkeston 1.30 – 2.30pm Derby Cathedral (10) 5pm Wilson village
Dress Code: Ice dancing / Brian Clough / Nottingham lace / Robin Hood / Bakewell tart
During run: Vicki to visit Nottingham castle and museums, and Wollaton Hall
Fuel: Bakewell Pudding, Fidgety Pie, local cheeses and oatcakes.
Wednesday 10th July
Run route – 31 miles
7am Wilson village 12noon – 1.30pm Leicester Cathedral (11) and city centre walking tour 4.30pm Goadby village
During run: Vicki to visit Richard III visitor centre
Post run: Melton Mowbray event spaces or Watermead Country Park
Fuel: Melton Mowbray Pork Pie, Stilton, Red Leicester
Thursday 11th July
Run route – 33 miles
8.30am Goadby 11.45am – 2pm Harringworth – van detour to Oakham for Jackson Stops pub 4pm Bedford Purlieus Nature Reserve 6.30pm Peterborough Cathedral (12)
During run: Vicki to visit Railworld Wildlife Haven
Post run: tour in a classic car
Fuel: Weetabix
Friday 12th July
Run route – 29 miles
8am Peterborough Cathedral 11.30am – 1.30pm Chatteris – the ‘last refuge of Boudica’ – 5pm Ely Cathedral (13) (29 miles)
Dress code: Iceni / Red Hair
During run: Vicki to visit Peterborough museums
Fuel: Eels – Ely means ‘Island of eels’
Saturday 13th July
Run route – 29 miles plus Parkrun (32 miles)
5.30am Ely Cathedral 9 – 10am Milton Country Park Run 11am – 12.30pm Cambridge 4pm The Jockey Club, Newmarket
Fuel: Fenland celery, and Braughing and Powters sausages
Sunday 14th July
Run route – 30 miles
8am Newmarket 11.15am – 12.30pm Ickworth Park 1.30 – 2pm Greene King Brewery, Bury St Edmunds 2.15 – 3pm St Edmundsbury Cathedral (14) 4.30 – 5.30pm Wyken Vineyards 7pm Knettishall Heath
Dress code: Jockey Silks or Cap
Post run: Walking loop of Suffolk Backyard Ultra
Fuel: Greene King brewery – Bury St Edmunds
Monday 15th July
Run route – 27 miles
8am Knettishall Heath 10.15 – 10.45am Peter Beales Roses, Attleborough 12.30 – 1.30pm Wymondham Abbey 4pm Norwich Cathedral (15)
Post run: walking tour to include Acle Bridge, Broads National Park, Great Yarmouth
Fuel: fish and chips in Great Yarmouth
Tuesday 16th July
Run route: 25 miles
7am Norwich Cathedral, walking tour of Norwich to include Elm Hill and medieval highlights 1 – 2pm Bressingham Steam and Gardens (Dad’s Army) 3pm Diss
Dress Code: Home Guard
Post run: Christchurch Mansion, Ipswich
Fuel: Celebration Tea, corned beef sandwiches, Coleman’s mustard
Wednesday 17th July
Run route – 33 miles
8am Diss 12noon – 2pm visit to Food Museum and Haughley Park 5pm Lavenham 6.30pm Sudbury
Post run: walk along The Talbot Trail, Hedingham Castle
Thursday 18th July
Run route – 26 miles
8am Sudbury 12noon – 1.15pm Braintree 4pm Chelmsford Cathedral (16)
Post run: Visit to Hylands Park
Fuel: Afternoon Tea at Tiptree Tea Room, Chelmsford
Friday 19th July
Run route – 32 miles
8am Chelmsford Cathedral 1pm Harlow 3pm Hertford Castle 4pm Welwyn Garden City
Saturday 20th July
Run route – 33 miles plus Parkrun 3 miles
5.30am Welwyn 7.45 – 8.30am St Albans Cathedral (17) and Abbey 9 – 10am St Albans Parkrun 1.45 – 2.30pm Brent Cross shopping centre 3.15 – 3.30pm The Woodman, Highgate 5pm St Paul’s Cathedral (18)
Post run: Evening river walk – Fleet Street – Temple Church – Somerset House – Blackfriars Bridge – National Theatre – South Bank – St Thomas’ Hospital – Big Ben – Whitehall – The Mall – Buckingham Palace – St James Palace – The Ritz – Trafalgar Square – Leicester Square – Chinatown – The Royal Opera House
Sunday 21st July
Run route – 33 miles
7am St Paul’s Cathedral 7.15 – 7.45am Southwark Cathedral (19) 8.45am Greenwich Observatory 12.30 – 2.30pm Bluewater Shopping Centre 5.30pm Rochester Cathedral (20)
Post run: City centre visit to Rochester Castle
Fuel: Jellied Eel, Pie and Mash at Cathedral Pie Shop, Rochester
Monday 22nd July
Run route – 31 miles
8am Rochester Cathedral 11am Sittingbourne 1 – 2pm Faversham 4.30pm Canterbury Cathedral (21)
Dress code: Bishops, Pilgrims, Knights, Minstrels, Soothsayers
Fuel: Canterbury Tart – recipe by Geoffrey Chaucer and Mary Berry.
Tuesday 23rd July
Run route – 27 miles
8am Canterbury Cathedral 2 – 5.30pm Leeds castle with van detour to Kent Owl Academy 7pm Maidstone
Dress code: dog collar
Fuel: Venison / puff pastry tartlets
Wednesday 24th July
Run route – 26 miles
6.30am Maidstone 9.30 – 10am Ightham Mote 11am Knole Park 12.30 – 1.30pm Chartwell House 2.30pm Oxted
Post run: Down House, Orpington
Thursday 25th July
Run route – 28 miles
7.30am Oxted 10 – 10.30am Reigate 12 – 1pm Denbies Wine Estate 5pm Guildford Cathedral (22)
Post run: Guildford Castle
Fuel: Denbies Flint Valley
Friday 26th July
Run route – 32 miles
8am Guildford Cathedral 12.45pm Lodsworth 4pm Chichester Cathedral (23)
Fuel: Seafood at the marina
Saturday 27th July
Run route – 26 miles plus Parkrun (3 miles)
6am Chichester cathedral 9 – 10am Havant Parkrun 12.15 – 1pm South Parade Pier, Portsmouth Cathedral (24) and Gosport Ferry 3pm Fareham
Dress code: Navy Blue
Post run: Royal Armouries at Fort Nelson
Fuel: Fish and Chips at the pier
Sunday 28th July
Run route – 26 miles
8am Fareham 12.30 – 2.30pm Winchester Cathedral (25) plus walking tour 4.30pm King’s Somborne
Dress code: King’s hat
Fuel: Burnt cakes
During run: Vicki to visit Houghton Lodge, Stockbridge
Post run: Isla’s Bar, Stockbridge and New Forest National Park
Monday 29th July
Run route – 28 miles
8am King’s Somborne 12 – 1.30pm Salisbury Cathedral (26) 5pm Fordingbridge, New Forest National Park
Fuel: New Forest Marque
Tuesday 30th July
Run Route – 23 miles
8am Fordingbridge 9.45am Cranbourne Manor 1.30pm Bryanston school, Blandford Forum
Post run: canoe on the Stour
Fuel: Badger Ales
Wednesday 31st July
Run route – 30 miles
8am Bryanston 9.45am Milton Abbas 11am – 1.30pm Dewlish 3.30 – 4.30pm Dorchester 7pm Puncknowle
Fuel: Dorset Knobs, Blue Vinny cheese and Dorset Apple cake.
Thursday 1st August
Run route – 31 miles
8am Puncknowle 11am Charmouth 1.30 – 2pm Seaton 4.30pm Sidmouth via South West Coastal Path
Fuel: Lobster
Friday 2nd August
Run route – 27 miles
7am Sidmouth 10.30 – 11.30am Exeter Cathedral (27) 12 – 3pm van visit to Powderham Castle 5.30pm Moretonhampstead
Fuel: Cream tea with scones
Saturday 3rd August
Run route – 29 miles plus Parkrun (3 miles)
9am Parke Parkrun, Bovey Tracey
10.15am Moretonhampstead 1.45 – 4pm Dartmoor Prison Museum, Princetown, plus walk to Foxtor Mires 7.30pm Plymouth
Dress code: Deerstalker / running robber
Fuel: Fish and Chips, Gin and Tonic
Sunday 4th August
Run route – 26 miles
8am Plymouth 9.30am Tregantle Fort 12 – 1.30pm Looe 2.30pm Polperro 4.30pm Fowey
Fuel: Dressed Crab
Monday 5th August
Run route – 27 miles
8am Fowey 9.30 – 10.30am The Eden Project 11.30am St Austell 3.30 – 4pm Truro Cathedral (28) 5pm Trispen
Post run: Healey’s Cyder Farm, Slip’n’Slide
Fuel: Pasty, Cornish Yarg, Healey’s Cyder, St Austell’s Beer
Tuesday 6th August
Run route – 29 miles
8am Trispin 1pm Bodmin with van detour to Lanhydrock House 6.30pm Jamaica Inn, Bolventor
Dress code: Cat ears
Post run: Museum of Daphne Du Maurier and Smuggling and a viewing of the film directed by Alfred Hitchcock, and a search for theBeast of Bodmin Moor
Fuel: Ill-gotten gains and plunder
Wednesday 7th August
Run route – 32 miles
8am Bolventor 11.15am Launceston 5pm Okehampton
Post run: visit to Bude
Fuel: Fudge
Thursday 8th August
Run route – 28 miles
8am Okehampton 9.30am North Tawton 3.30pm Tiverton
During run: Vicki to visit Tiverton Castle
Post run: Dunster Castle and an evening at Butlins, Minehead
Friday 9th August
Run route – 27 miles
7.30am Tiverton 10.45am Wellington Monument 11.45am – 1pm Patou Alpacas 3.30pm North Curry – may add on extra miles to lessen the early start of Sat 10th
During run: Vicki to visit the Museum of Somerset, Taunton
Saturday 10th August
Run route – 25 miles plus Parkrun (3 miles)
4.30am North Curry or 6am Othery (if extended previous day) 9 – 10am Street Parkrun 10.45am – 12.30pm Glastonbury Tor, Glastonbury Abbey, The Goddess Temple 2pm Wells Cathedral (29)
Dress code: Fancy Dress day!
Post run: Wookey Hole, Cheddar Gorge
Fuel: Ploughman’s and Cider
Sunday 11th August
Run route – 34 miles
7am Wells Cathedral 10 – 10.45 The Pony, Chew Magna 12.30-2.30pm St Mary’s Redcliffe – walking tour to include Bristol Cathedral (30) and lunch at Cabot Circus 5.30pm Bath Abbey
Post run: Walking tour of Bath, including Roman and Jane Austen connections.
Fuel: Josh Eggleton Brunch at Chew Magna, then Pieminister pie
Monday 12th August
Run route – 28 miles
8am Bath Abbey 10.15 – 10.30am Corsham 12 – 1.30pm Chippenham 2.45pm Calne 4.45pm Avebury Stone Circle
During run: Vicki to visit Stonehenge
Dress code: Running Club vests
Fuel: Cousin Normans, Coq
Tuesday 13th August
Run route – 25 miles
9am Avebury 10am Hackpen Hill 10.30am Barbury Castle 1.15pm Uffington White Horse 3.30pm Wantage
Fuel: Wiltshire Ham sandwiches
Wednesday 14th August
Run route – 27 miles
7am Wantage 10 – 10.45am Redbridge Park&Ride 11am – 2pm Oxford walking tour to include Oxford Cathedral (31) and Westgate shopping centre 5.15pm Witney
During run: Vicki to visit Cogges Manor Farm
Post run: Blenheim Palace and Kidlington
Fuel: Oxford Sausages (Mrs Beeton Recipe), Frank Cooper’s Oxford Marmalade (Sarah Cooper 1874 recipe)
Thursday 15th August
Run route – 30 miles
7am Witney 10.30 – 10.45am Burford (Cotswolds) 1.15 – 4.30 Hazleton – van excursion to Sudeley Castle and Hailes Abbey 7.15pm Cheltenham
Post run: Pittville Pump Room and Cheltenham Racecourse. Dinner in Winchcombe
Fuel: Pong cheese and Pittville water
Friday 16th August
Run route – 34 miles
7am Cheltenham 8.45am Gloucester Cathedral (32) 12.30pm Kempley 4.45pm Hereford Cathedral (33) plus walking tour of city
During run: Vicki to arrive early at Hereford cathedral to visit the Chained Library, Mappa Mundi and St John Medieval Museum
Fuel: Double Gloucester, Hereford steak, Hereford Cider
Saturday 17th August
Run route – 29 miles plus Parkrun (3 miles)
9 – 10am Hereford Parkrun
10am Hereford Leisure centre 12noon Tarrington 4 – 4.30pm Malvern 6.30pm Worcester Cathedral (34)
Fuel: Worcestershire sauce
Sunday 18th August
Run route – 23 miles
8am Worcester Cathedral 11.30am Ragley Hall 2pm Stratford Upon Avon to Holy Trinity Church (Shakespeare’s Tombstone)
During run: Vicki to visit Ragley Hall
Dress code: Courtesans and Jesters
Post run: Guided tour of the theatre with Royal Shakespeare Company
Monday 19th August
Run route – 27 miles
8am Stratford 10.15am Warwick Castle 12 – 1.30pm Kenilworth Castle 3.15 – 5.15pm Coventry Cathedral (35) and transport museum 6.30pm Meriden
Post run: Maxstoke Castle
Fuel: Balti
Tuesday 20th August
Run route – 27 miles
8am Meriden 11.15am – 1.15pm St Philip’s Cathedral Birmingham (36), The Bullring and Grand Central 2pm Villa Park and Birmingham Alexander Stadium 5pm Lichfield Cathedral (37)
Wednesday 21st August
Run route – 36 miles
6.30am Lichfield Cathedral 9am Cannock Chase 10.30 – 11am walking tour of Stafford 3.45pm Market Drayton
During run: Vicki Fordhall Organic Farm
Post run: Ironbridge, Wollerton Old Hall, Dorothy Clive and Hodnet Hall Gardens
Fuel: Denz’s Dirty Burger or Lunar, Wedgewood
Thursday 22nd August
Run route – 31 miles
7am Market Drayton 9.15am Hack Green Nuclear Bunker 10.30am Dorfold Hall 3pm Chester Cathedral (38)
Post run: city walk
Fuel: Cheshire cheese
Friday 23rd August
8am Chester Cathedral 12.30 – 2.30pm St James Cathedral Liverpool plus walking tour to include Cavern Club, Liverpool ONE shopping centre 5.30pm Widnes
Dress code: Mop top
Post run: Antony Gormley sculpture Another Place, sportsgrounds if time.
Fuel: Scouse, fish and chips, Liverpool tart
Saturday 24th August
Run route – 27 miles plus Parkrun (3 miles)
6am Widnes 8 – 10am Warrington Parkrun 1 – 3pm Trafford Centre 3.45pm Old Trafford 4.30pm Manchester Cathedral (40)
Post run: Cryotherapy at The Lowry Hotel
Fuel: Eccles Cake, Black Pudding, Manchester Tart, Vimto, Sweet and Sour Chicken
Sunday 25th August
Run route – 24 miles
8am Manchester Cathedral 10.30am Ainsworth, nr Bolton 12noon Darwen 1pm Blackburn Cathedral (41)
Fuel: Hotpot
Monday 26th August
Run route – 31 miles
7am Blackburn Cathedral 10.30am Whitewell then across Forest of Bowland National Landscape 5pm Hornby
During run: Vicki to visit Lancaster Cathedral, Lancaster Castle, Carnforth station (Brief Encounter)
Post run: Silverdale National Landscape, VOOM Nutrition
Fuel: Morecambe Bay shrimps, Fudge by VOOM Nutrition
Tuesday 27th August
Run route – 30 miles
7.30am Hornby 1pm Bowness on Windermere 2.30pm Brathay Hall, Ambleside
During run: Vicki and Lily on the trail of Beatrix Potter via the west side of Windermere
Fuel: Kendal Mint cake
Wednesday 28th August
Run route – 20 miles
8.30pm Brathay Hall, Ambleside 9.15am Rydall Cave 11.45 Borrowdale 1pm Catbells 2pm The Wainwright, Keswick
Post run: Evening hike to Castlerigg Stone Circle
Fuel: Sticky Toffee Pudding, Cumberland Sausages, Windrmere Char, Grasmere Gingerbread, Rum Nicky
Thursday 29th August
Run route – 34 miles
6.30am Keswick 2 – 2.30pm Carlisle Cathedral (42) and castle 5pm Newtown nr Brampton
During run: Vicki to visit Scaleby Hill Motorbike Museum
Fuel: Carr’s water biscuits
Friday 30st August
Run route – 37 miles
8am Newtown 11.45am Vindolanda 12.45pm Housesteads 3.15pm Wall 4.15pm Chester’s Roman Fort
During run: Vicki to visit Museum of Classic Sci-Fi and HexhamOld Gaol
Post run: Walk to Hexham Abbey and Northumberland Dark Sky Park
Saturday 31st August
Run route – 20 miles plus Parkrun (3 miles)
9am Tyne Green Parkrun
10am Chesters Roman Fort 1.15pm Heddon on the Wall 2.30pm St James’ Park 3pm Newcastle Cathedral
Post run: Eldon Square and Chinatown, with a Brown Ale or two.
Bath Abbey , for Sunday 11th August
TOE Highlights
42 Cathedrals, Cathedral Cities
Newcastle – Durham – Ripon – York – Bradford – Wakefield – Sheffield – Lincoln – Southwell – Derby – Leicester – Peterborough – Ely – St Edmondsbury – Norwich – Chelmsford – St Albans – St Pauls – Southwark – Rochester – Canterbury – Guildford – Chichester – Portsmouth – Winchester – Salisbury – Exeter – Truro – Wells – Bristol – Oxford – Gloucester – Hereford – Worcester – Coventry – Birmingham – Lichfield – Chester – Liverpool – Manchester – Balckburn – Carlisle
National Trails –
North Downs Way
South Downs Way
South West Coastal Path
The Ridgeway
Hadrian’s Wall Path
National Parks
Northumberland
North Yorks Moors
The Peak District
South Downs
The New Forest
Dartmoor
The Lake District
About Me (also on video below)
This project is my chance to make sense of a lifetime of energy, experience and wordy worldliness. I’ve created Frank’s Big TOE, my Tour Of England, to be completed in two months, July and August 2024.
Being locked into England in 2020 gave me a new appreciation of what England is. I travelled around it whenever allowed, running and making new friends, finding inspiration every step of the way.
The challenge I have come up with covers 2000 miles mapped around all 42 of our cathedral cities.
Newcastle – Canterbury – Truro and Carlisle are the four corners of an adventure that will take me just about everywhere to snapshot England in 2024.
There is a British Cycling route that does something similar, showing the town and country links. This is my runner/hiker take on it, using all types of terrain to show how accessible and extraordinary – England is and to use its incredible landscape to evoke its history and culture – both ancient and modern.
But why me? Why am I the one doing this?
I describe myself as an experiences writer – living life through experiences, events and travel. I have edited and published event, business experience and travel magazines and written for numerous publications. I have been a public speaker at events and hosted my own radio show.
Travel writing commissions and projects have seen me with many exciting visits – to judge the inaugural Miss Kazakhstan competition, to ride horseback amongst hunting lions in Kenya and to follow a general election around the Ukraine, from Kyiv to Lviv.
I’m entrepreneurial, with previous success in making things happen. I set up my own magazines business in 1999 by writing a book sponsored by Royal Mail and Experian called Data Integrity. I created the Field Marketing and Brand Experience Awards in 2003, which I still host annually.
As an adventurous entrepreneur, I also once transformed a defunct lung hospital in the Auvergne back into a chateau, successfully running horse riding holidays there, simultaneously with the publishing and writing business. These days the lovely Chateau de Chazelles hosts weddings.
Stamina & Charity
2000 miles is a huge ask, but I do have what it takes – both as an athlete and as a money raiser.
I raced Devizes to Westminster Canoe Race as a child, 125 miles in 3 days as part of the winning team.
In my 20s I raised 1000s of £s when running London Marathon.
I was a part of Howards Way Walk, long distance charity walking group for 5 years -a group which raised £400,000 for charity.
I started running seriously as recently as 2018, aged 48, with my first ultra, the 100KM Race to the Stones in the middle of that year. My second ultra was a 125KM volcano ascent and island crossing in Gran Canaria, with 7000 metres of elevation. I have since completed a further 100+ ultras and marathons including epics such as Beacon’s Way, 110 miles, and the Kerry Way, 120 miles, both across extreme terrain.
I have qualified for and competed in the World Series Final, Ultra Trail de Mont Blanc (105 miles, 10,000m elevation) and even won one especially brutal ultra, the Linkenholt Backyard Ultra where competitors complete the same very hilly 4 mile loop over and over until only one runner is left standing.
I’m adding to my multiday running experience this year but I have a good track record so far. I was the quickest participant in the 2022 Mongol 100 – a four marathons, 4 day crossing of a frozen lake in Outer Mongolia. I won the seniors prize for the Lake Tahoe triple in California and Nevada, a 3 day circuit of the lake. In 2021 I completed Ring of Fire, a 3 day circuit of the Anglesey coast – 135 miles.
Through all of this I have always championed youth and the great outdoors. I’m very positive about the next generation. Given the right opportunities, they are destined to be better than us.
This is my chance to make sense of my life, to drive these experiences, their collective energies and the many connections I have made into a substantial legacy.
Using your support, your donations, your spreading of the word, your skills and your kindness I will run and write this unique project, epic in terms of its visceral energy, eloquent, entertaining and evocative in terms of its delivery.
The money raised and the message we put out these will be used to build a lasting legacy – young people growing up to make the best of the country we live in, and then to go on to make it even better.
