Six marathons in six days for Ben

Ben Lowe, account manager at Sutton-in-Ashfield based specialist sports sock manufacturer SockMine, is attempting the challenge in April to raise money for the Light Fund. The organisation is a fundraising body that raises cash for charities including the Children’s Trust, Challenge Africa, the Orchid Cancer Appeal, and the New Life special care babies’ charity.

Friends Jason Easy and Katie Ball will also be putting SockMine socks — and themselves — to the test by joining Ben on the challenge.

For the first five days, the trio will each run the equivalent of five marathon distances — around 130 miles — along the Grand Union Canal, which links Birmingham to London.

The challenge will culminate on Sunday April 23, when they will all participate in the 2017 Virgin London Marathon. By the end of the challenge, each runner will have covered more than 157 miles, 470 miles as a team.

Ben, 23, from Mansfield, said: “The idea of us doing the six in six started where most great ideas do, in a bar, over a pint.

“Jason and I were both talking about how we had started running again, and decided to set ourselves a goal as motivation.

“However, we didn’t think that running just one marathon was challenging enough, so set our sights higher by attempting six in six days, with the hope of raising at least £6,000 for the Light Fund, an organisation which funds many charities that are close to our hearts.

“I’m currently in training for April and although my legs ache, my feet are in decent shape.

“We pride ourselves on the way that SockMine socks care for your feet, enabling athletes of all abilities to compete harder and for longer, and I’m pleased to say that so far, my feet are blister-free.”

For more information about the challenge, or to make a donation, visit the team’s fundraising page, www.justgiving.com/6marathons6days.