Photo: Kevin Owens
BBC RADIO 2 Presenter, Sara Cox, ran through Weardale on the second day of her week-long Great Northern Marathon Challenge in aid of Children In Need.
The farmer’s daughter from Bolton who presents a week-day show every night on Radio 2 is undergoing a 135 miles trek across four counties to raise money for the charity. She set off from Kielder Forest yesterday, staying overnight in Blanchland.
This morning, after running the length of a marathon yesterday, set off over the unforgiving but beautiful moorland in the pouring rain running towards Weardale. The sometimes wild and lonely fells became a bit more crowded as the good folk turned out in small groups along the way.
As Sara and her crew, including a film crew complete with drone, managed the steep incline towards the top of our world approaching Crawleyside, more groups of people began to gather, braving the cold and rain. Among them was local vet, Rebecca Bradley on her horse, Finn, along with others, including retired chemist, Janet Price. A Highland Piper played on Sara’s approach to Wetherhill and it was quite a crowd – with dogs – who cheered her on. Sara stopped to speak to Rebecca and to give Finn a cuddle – she said how much she missed her own horse.
Photo: Ann-Marie Young
After a short break to use the loo in Dorothy Hepple’s house, Sara stopped to speak to more people along the road, stroking more horses and dogs and ensuring the children too were recognised. And then she went on the steepest hill in the county that is Crawleyside bank – luckily, she was going down it! The cars passing both ways beeped their support to her too and although she was on the point of exhaustion, she acknowledged them all.
PHOTO: Julie-Anne Peadon
Still the Dalefolk gathered to cheer her on and as she approached the Grey Bull at the bottom of the bank, around 200 people, including the children from Stanhope Barrington Primary School, burst into deafening applause and cheers. The traffic continued to beep as it passed too – it was like a scene from some winter carnival!
PHOTO: Christine Craig. At the bottom of Crawleyside near The Grey Bull.
The Stanhopers really got into the spirit of it with inflatable costumes and lots of Pudsey Bears and home-made banners. The young pupils and their teachers, who had lined the road on Cowarth Hill for more than an hour, were in fine voice, aided by a megaphone. They were having the time of their lives loudly cheering Sara on and she rewarded them by pausing to speak to them and posing for selfies.
Sara with the pupils from Stanhope Barrington
She appeared to be struggling slightly as she took on the incline and jogged towards the fire station where the firefighters turned out their machine and sent water shooting high in the air as Sara approached to the delight of the scores of onlookers gathered around. She then passed by and stopped for a while at the Dales Centre.
After a break, she was back on the road again as more folk lined the main street and all the way down the road almost into Frosterley. There, scores and scores of villagers and visitors were waiting along with a large Pudsey Bear outside the Co-op. There were banners made by the children and adults galore screaming as loud as the kids as they greeted Sara. The excitement built into a crescendo, a cacophony of sound that surely boosted the Radio 2 Presenter.
PHOTO: JULIE WOOD
On she jogged, clearly exhausted but determined to continue – out of Frosterley and on towards Wolsingham. By this time, the night sky had descended upon the Dale but still she pushed on, every step agonising, with remarkable pluck that the crowds – and the traffic – recognised and appreciated. Their cheers and shouts of support could only have spurred Sara on.
Meanwhile, in Wolsingham, a huge crowd had gathered in the Recreation Ground where local electrician, Lee Crowther, had erected twinkling lights and the local authority had built a cordon along which Sara would run to finish the second leg of her run. The Weardale Warblers, led by Sinead Livingston from Rookhope, were preparing for the performance they have been rehearsing – to sing ‘Elton John’s ‘I’m Still Standing’.
More and more people arrived, not just from the town but from nearby villages and towns too – Tow Law, Crook, Fir Tree and even Sunderland! Every single one wanted to see Sara and to cheer her on, showing how much they appreciate her Herculean effort.
And eventually, through the dark skies and rain, she appeared after the escort vehicle came in sight and again the deafening cheers and roars could be heard at Harperley! The Warblers struck up their song – and Sara was only just still standing although elated at the end of a strenuous day running through one of the most difficult terrains in the country. She bravely went on to speak to the crowd as well as give an interview from Radio Two and BBC News.
PHOTO: ANNE-MARIE CHARLTON
Local folk of all ages gave Sara Cox a tremendous Weardale welcome, turning out in literally hundreds in a massive show of support. THIS is what makes Britain great and the only flags in sight were home-made ones with encouraging messages.
Well done you Dalefolk! We’re quite sure you absolutely made Sara Cox’s ordeal so much easier with the fantastic show of support.
Tomorrow morning, Sara will continue into the third day, leaving Wolsingham and immediately tackling Wears Bank towards Hamsterley where one of her stops will be at the Cross Keys. Go along and cheer her on if you can. Her trek will continue to the finishing line on Friday at Pudsey in Leeds.
- To donate to Sara’s challenge: To donate via text, you can send a message with the amount you wish to donate:
- For £10, text TEN to 70710.
- For £20, text TWENTY to 70710.
- For £30, text THIRTY to 70710.
You can also donate by visiting the BBC Children In Need website where you will find a link to Sara’s page.
PHOTO: Julie-Anne Peadon
THE WEARDALE WARBLERS IN WOLSINGHAM RECREATION GROUND
