by Joe Jeffrey
Elddis Autoquest 180 to travel alongside runner in epic journey
A long-distance endurance runner has set off on an epic 3,400-mile European run of a lifetime, thanks in part to a six-berth an Elddis Autoquest 180 which is heading along with him for the ride.
Mark Allison – AKA Run Geordie Run – has embarked upon the Herculean feat, which began in Lisbon in Portugal on Monday, which will see him cross the finish line in Istanbul in August.
Mark, who lives in Northumberland, began running for charity in 1994 to repay what he calls a “debt of gratitude” for hospice care given to his late mother, and has lost both parents to cancer.
To date he has raised around £250,000 for good causes and shows no sign of stopping any time soon.
The run Mark has recently embarked upon is just one leg of his 20,000-mile Around the World quest, which has already seen him run the length of the UK as well as across the United States and Australia in a bid to raise money for The Sir Bobby Robson Foundation and The Children’s Foundation.
Following on from the Europen leg, Mark is aiming to traverse Turkey, Georgia, Russia and Kazakhstan in 2018, followed by China in 2020, Japan in 2021, and New Zealand in 2022.
Such extreme running requires not only extensive planning but also a rock-solid support team, and sponsors have continued to ensure Mark has a constant supply of running shoes and clothes, equipment, food and supplements.
The Elddis motorhome which will join Mark for the European leg of his journey comprises of part of a sponsorship deal from supplies company SOS Group Ltd, and will act as Mark and his unpaid volunteer support team’s base for the 100 days they hope it will take to cross 14 countries to the Turkish city of Istanbul.
The motorhome’s many lockers and storage compartments have been meticulously stocked with kit for the arduous journey ahead.
After collecting his Elddis motorhome, Mark met with footballing legend Jack Charlton and Sir Bobby’s widow Lady Elsie, who were keen to see what his new ‘home-from-home’ for the next 100 days would be like. The football legend even had a quick turn behind the wheel!
We will be following Mark via his Facebook and Twitter – admittedly from the comfort of CaravanTimes Towers – but to donate to the two wonderful charities Mark is running for, click here.
Also, make sure you check out this short documentary below to see more of Mark and learn more about his motivation behind the epic journey below.
