West Sussex dad completes 24 triathlons in 24 hours for Alzheimer’s Research UK

The 41-year-old health and safety trainer from Ford did a Super Sprint Triathlon on the hour, every hour, for 24 hours to raise money for the UK’s leading dementia research charity.

That meant doing a 400m swim, 10km bike ride and 2.5km run every hour, starting at 7pm on Friday, June 27.

He used the community pool at St Peter’s Primary School in Cowfold for his swim and cycled 10km through the local villages before running through Cowfold for each triathlon.

Mark’s inspiration came from having delivered training in hundreds of care homes over the past 20 years.

He said: “Having seen first-hand the effects of dementia on thousands of people, I’m driven to be a part of the journey towards a cure. Statistically, one in two people in the UK will be touched by dementia, either personally or in a close loved one.

“By challenging myself to do something that seems crazy but also achievable, I can raise money and awareness of the work of the UK’s leading dementia research charity.”

Dementia affects almost one million people in the UK alone and has a huge impact on families. It is most commonly caused by Alzheimer’s disease.

Alzheimer’s Research UK is working to revolutionise the way dementia is treated, diagnosed and prevented and Mark aims to raise £3,000 with his 24-hour challenge.

Mark said: “I have been training since October 2024 for this, ten to 14 hours a week, juggling family life, work and training. I love triathlon but it can be a selfish pursuit, so I decided this year I would do something bigger and more impactful.

"My triathlons usually last just over an hour as I enjoy the speed. I have always thought of doing an ironman but if I asked for sponsorship for this, I would feel guilty as it was an ambition of mine, so I had to come up with something unique.

“I have been fascinated by 24-hour challenges since childhood and, after months of different ideas, I came up with 24 super sprints in 24 hours. To my knowledge this has never been done before and is a test of mind, body and spirit.

“Training has included waking up at midnight to cycle and run through the night, 8-hour back-to-back training sessions, and many hours of swimming, cycling and running.

“I have been blown away by the support of the local community. For example, the team at Cowfold Pool have been great at letting me have 24-hour access. I delivered a school assembly for the pupils at St Peter’s School, and they’ve now been inspired to organise a triathlon later in the year for the children.”

Mark set a £3,000 target and was blown away to achieve it with two triathlons to go. He has now raised £3,500. Visit www.justgiving.com/page/mark-walford-24hour-tri to make a donation

Shelle Luscombe, regional fundraising officer for Kent and Sussex at Alzheimer’s Research UK, said: “We’re so grateful to Mark for supporting Alzheimer’s Research UK. Some 28,316 people across Sussex alone are estimated to be living with dementia. Fantastic fundraising efforts like this will help us get closer to a cure for people with dementia and their loved ones.”

For further information about Alzheimer’s Research UK, or to find out more about fundraising for the charity, call 0300 111 5555 or visit www.alzheimersresearchuk.org