Marathon 7 in 7 Challenge completed for hospice

The finale was Chichester Parkrun followed by Salterns Way and East Head on Saturday and Justin was greeted by a crowd of family and friends as he crossed the finish line at the hospice.

Justin had been planning the marathon effort for months, having arranged it for April but been forced to postpone it due to a calf injury.

Justin said: “The final day was the hardest but I’m happy to say the runs were injury free and despite the mixed forecast at least it was cooler than it had been in recent weeks.

“I’ve had to spend a lot of time training and running, which inevitably means you spend less time with family and friends.”

After finishing his ‘7 in 7 Challenge’, he said he was looking forward to the next day off, spending time with family and enjoying a pint at his local pub.

The week began on Sunday, June 12, with the Yeovil Marathon, followed by Bosham Loop and Centurion Way the next day.

Next on the list was the hilly Trundle Test, then Portsmouth Coastal Marathon, which saw Justin break the 100-mile barrier.

Hayling Billy Trail was next, then a town and country circuit taking in Chichester, Bognor Regis and Mid Lavant, before the grand finale.

There was a welcome back at the hospice, which Justin chose to support because of his long career in healthcare and his desire to ‘make a difference’.

Justin was a paramedic for 20 years. He became a paramedic practitioner in 2008 then left the ambulance service in 2014 to work at Bersted Green Surgery in Bognor Regis.

He added: “Having been a paramedic for about 20 years, I have close links to the hospice and think it’s a wonderful local cause in Chichester.

“I wanted a difficult yet achievable challenge and I had limited annual leave, so it sounded ideal.

“I’m inspired by the work of St Wilfrid’s Hospice and wanted to support them by raising money. The more people that know about St Wilfrid’s Hospice, the greater their impact.”

Justin is an experienced marathon runner, having previously completed seven marathons, including Brighton, London, Edinburgh and Portsmouth.

Training and preparation for his 7 in 7 Challenge involved running much longer routes than for a single marathon, building the distance up to 90 miles in a week.

They began back in December but were halted in March during week 15 of training, when Justin injured his right calf muscle.

It took a few weeks to recuperate but he was then back on track, leading up to the actual week going to plan and ending injury free.

Adapting his life and diet, by ensuring enough iron, protein and carbohydrates were consumed, was crucial to Justin’s success.

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