Plymouth Student Rob runs a super 60k route for Movember charity!

Written by: Rob Elphick

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On Monday 16th November University of Plymouth Student Rob Elphick, with support from his housemate Jack, decided to run a casual 60k for Movember!

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I saw people engaging with the Move for Movember scheme which is where you run 60km in the month of November. I run roughly 100km a week and so if I were going to get peoples attention and make a difference, I knew I needed to do something bigger that would challenge me more. I wanted to keep it tied in with the number 60, as 60 men are lost to suicide every hour across the globe.

I set my target to run 60km in one morning, created the fundraising page and set the target to £100. The furthest I’d ever run in one go before was 25km, so I had no idea what to expect. People I spoke to told me the marathon distance (42.2km) was challenging enough, let alone 60km. I was confident if not slightly naïve. Fast forward a week and it was the morning of the run. I woke up at 4:45am to eat some breakfast before setting off at 7:00am. Then Jack and I set off in the dark on bike and on foot, respectively.

I made it to the half marathon mark (21.1km) in 1:29 and felt comfortable, but as I ran further past 25km my legs started to go and by the time we arrived in Tavistock at the halfway mark I started to realise what a challenge I’d got myself in to. I pushed on to finish a marathon in 2:56, stopped for a drink and cramp started in my legs. I gave Jack a hug, sobbed, and he told me how proud he was of me. It was a bittersweet moment as I still had 18km to run to complete what I’d set out to do so I gritted my teeth, wiped my tears, and staggered off towards home.

Those last 18km served as a very good lesson to me and reflects the awareness that needs to be raised around men's health. The lesson was to use the support from others around you, as I found comfort in talking to jack when things got physically and mentally tough and thinking about the support and messages from people who’d donated kept me moving one foot in front of the other.

Eventually, 4:29:26 later I finished 60km. I’d given everything and received so much support in return. I was mentally and physically drained. We managed to raise an astounding total of £700 which even typing it now sounds unbelievable. When I had the idea, I thought I’d do well to get £100. Without the generosity and support from my friends and family, this would not have been possible. I feel lucky to be able to share this and hope that it sparks motivation in you to take part in your own fundraising