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James & Steve Packer

Run 50 Miles in October

Help us reach our goal of £150

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£701 + £88.66 GiftAid

Our Goal

£150

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Running Update - James is off on an adventure!

James is off to see his grandparents in Lebanon while things are relatively stable out there. It’s one of those opportunities that doesn’t come around often, so we said yes.
He’s packed his challenge t-shirt and will get some miles in while he’s away. Anything left of the 50 he’ll finish when he gets home, even if that means running into November.
In the meantime it’s just me. I’ve done another 3.2 miles today, taking me to 9.6 since he left (over 12 miles this week) which is 30.3 overall. 19.7 still to go, and eight days to cover them.
He’s left me a proper hill to climb.
Thank you to everyone who’s backed us. We’re doing it for prostate cancer — 1 in 8 men in the UK will get it, and your support is what’s keeping the miles moving, whether it’s both of us or just the old man holding the fort.
James will pick it up again when he’s back. Until then I’ll keep turning up.

James is back! 👊

After three days off he was ready to go again. We were out in the dark before the street lights came on, felt like we had Dorchester to ourselves.
He’d seen my solo 28-minute time and wanted to push ours. We went for it. Legs felt good for the first stretch, then we both ran out of steam with half a mile left and walked the rest home. No drama, just two of us talking about all sorts on the way back. Properly good.
Another 3.1 miles done. That takes us to 20.7 miles. 29.3 still to go.
Fundraising is now at £701, and that includes some cash donations we still need to add to the page. We asked for £150. We never expected it to go this far.
Thank you to everyone who’s supported us.
We’re doing it for prostate cancer — 1 in 8 men in the UK will get it — and having James back out, even when we end up walking the last bit, is what this is about.
We’ll keep turning up. Some days we’ll run it, some days we’ll walk the end. The miles will get done.

Man down!

James has been under the weather for the last three days, so Thursday morning’s 3.1 miles was just me. He wanted to come. I told him to stay in bed. Someone had to pick up the baton, so I ran for both of us.

I went for the fastest time I could manage. By the end I was properly blowing. Legs heavy, lungs on fire, and no nine-year-old next to me to keep the pace honest. It felt longer than 3.1 miles.

That takes us to 17.6 miles. 32.4 still to go. Most of these runs will be the two of us. Today it was just the old man covering the ground so the total didn’t stall.

Thank you to everyone who’s backed us. We’re doing it for prostate cancer — 1 in 8 men in the UK will get it — and days like this are part of getting the miles done.

James will be back out as soon as he’s right. Until then I’ll keep turning up. We won’t let the total slip. He wants to personally run the 50 miles no matter what, so it looks like our runs will continue into November!

Wet wet wet!

Monday was our first proper run in the rain. James and I were out at 6:30am for another 3.1 miles.

It was grim in places — cold, soaking, and the last uphill didn’t help. James just got on with it. No moaning, no asking to turn back. He kept putting one foot in front of the other even when the weather was doing its best to put us off. For a nine-year-old, that was a really good effort.

Then, just after the two-mile mark, Mandy Everard (one of our friends ❤️) saw us from her car and cheered us on. Exactly when we needed it. That little boost got us going again and we finished strong.

14.5 miles done. 35.5 still to go. Some of these will be wet, some will be hard, and some will get easier because you guys are cheering us along.

Thank you to everyone who’s supported us. We’re doing it for prostate cancer — 1 in 8 men in the UK will get it — and watching James dig in on a morning like this makes the whole thing feel worth it.

We’ll keep turning up, rain or not. James isn’t stopping, and neither am I.

Sorry this update is a day late!

Yesterday morning we were out the door at 6:20am for another 3.1 miles. James struggled with this one. He felt sick and we had to stop twice. I offered to turn us round early. He said no. We walked until he felt better, then carried on and finished it.

He’s nine. He didn’t have to keep going. He just wouldn’t stop. I was so proud watching him decide he was finishing it no matter what.

11.4 miles done now. 38.6 miles left. We’re starting to feel what 50 miles actually means, and some of these mornings are going to be harder than others.

Thank you to everyone who’s backed us. Prostate cancer affects 1 in 8 men in the UK, and the support you’ve given is what’s getting both of us out when it would be easier not to.

We’ll be back out again. James isn’t the type to pack it in, and neither am I.

Another one in tonight. James and I did 3.1 miles!

Partway round James felt a small pull in his calf. I told him we could walk it in. He wouldn’t have it. He kept going to the end and didn’t give up. A bit of ice at home and a rest, and it was absolutely fine. That’s James. He loves a challenge, and once he’s started he won’t give in. Watching him refuse to stop, on a run he didn’t have to do, for a cause that matters, meant more to me than the miles we did tonight. That takes us to 8.3 miles. 41.7 still to go, and it’s already clear this is going to be tough. Some nights one of us will hurt. Some nights we’ll both want to turn for home early. Thanks to everyone who’s supported us. We’re doing it for prostate cancer — 1 in 8 men in the UK will unfortunately get it. Your support is what gets us out the door. We’ll keep turning up. James won’t give in, and I’m not about to either.

Early one this morning!

Early one this morning. James and I were out at 6:20am and did 3.2 miles. Right knee is hurting a bit. We’re only 5.2 miles in to the challenge, with 44.8 still to go, and it’s already starting to sink in what we’ve signed up for. This is going to be tough. Thanks to everyone who’s supported us. We’re doing it for prostate cancer — 1 in 8 men in the UK will get it. That support is what’s getting us out the door when it would be easier to stay in. We’ll keep turning up, sore knee and all. Plenty of miles left, and we’re not stopping now.

First day of the 50-mile October challenge done!

We got back home and it was under 2 miles, so we went once more round the block to make it.

2 miles down. 48 to go.

We're doing it for prostate cancer. 1 in 8 men in the UK will get it — dads, grandads, mates — and early checks make a real difference.

Thanks again to everyone who's backed us. We aimed for £150. The total is now just over £600, and we still can't quite believe it.

That's what's getting us out the door. On we go.

This morning we did a 5K Parkrun!

This morning we managed a 5K parkrun to get ready for our October 50-mile challenge.
It was my first ever Parkrun, James's second, and I have to say it was such a great experience! 5k in 30 minutes 40 seconds. We're completely pooped. Pride just about intact.
A fund raising update! ... The bit James and I still can’t get our heads around is the fundraising. We set our sights on £150, a figure we thought we could achieve and would make a difference.
Our total is now £521!
That’s more than three times what we thought anyone would give. We put the page up, told a few people, and you guys have just been amazing. A massive thank you to everyone who donated, shared, messaged, or just told a man they love to get checked.
We both seriously did not see it coming.
October’s not far away, we're as ready as we will ever be to start our 50 Mile Challenge. W'ell keep you updated every step of the way (pun definately intended).
Dad and son. One parkrun down. 50 miles still to go 😅

We told you last night. We didn’t expect this morning!

Yesterday we were two people with a slightly mad idea: an overweight dad and his 9-year-old, trying to run 50 miles through October for prostate cancer, hoping we might scrape together £150.

Then all of you joined us.

We have already gone past the target. You gave before we’d even laced a shoe. Some of you shared it with people we’ll never meet. Some of you just wrote “proud of you both” and that was enough to sit us both down for a minute.

We honestly didn’t think this many people would care.

Not because the cause isn’t important — 1 in 8 men, dads, grandads, mates — but because it was us. A dad who still gets out of breath on the school hill. A boy who thinks 50 miles sounds like going to the moon. We thought a few kind relatives might chip in. Instead it felt like a whole room leaned in at once and said: go on then. We’ll walk with you.

That is what has hit us hardest.

The money will help. Research, awareness, men getting checked who might not have. But what our boy saw this morning is bigger than a total on a page. He saw that when you try something that scares you a bit, for someone other than yourself, people don’t laugh. They stand up.

So thank you. Properly. From both of us.
We will do the miles. Some of them will be ugly. Some of them he will wait for me. That’s the point. You didn’t sponsor a pair of athletes. You sponsored a start.
We’ll keep you posted.
We’ll keep moving.
From a very surprised dad, and a very proud 9-year-old —
thank you for believing in us before we’d even begun.

Dad and son. 50 miles. October. Prostate cancer.

I’m not a runner, sometimes a golfer. I’m a typical dad: a bit overweight, a bit out of puff, better at the school run than an actual run. James is 9 and still thinks I can do anything.

This October we’re going to prove him half right.

Together we’re taking on an accumulated 50-mile running challenge — not one heroic day, just miles stacked up through the month. Short loops after school. Weekend park jogs. Whatever we can manage without breaking him, or me.

We’re doing it for prostate cancer.

1 in 8 men in the UK will get it. That’s dads. Grandads. Uncles. Mates. Men who still think they’re “fine.” Early checks save lives, and research only happens if people like us put one foot in front of the other and ask for help.

Our target is £150. That’s not a fortune. It’s a few coffees from friends, a fiver from family, a tenner from someone who knows a man this disease has already touched.

If we look ridiculous in our trainers, good. If James has to wait for me at the lamppost, even better. He’s learning that you don’t have to be fit, fast or fearless to start. You just have to start — and do it for someone other than yourself.

If you can sponsor us, share this, or simply tell a man you love to check his risk, you’ll have already helped.

We’ll do the miles, rain or shine.

You help make them matter.

Thank you from me and James.

We're taking on the Run 50 Miles Challenge

Thank you to our Sponsors

£56

Raymond Macallister

Go long and go hard. Run like you play golf, not like you ski.

£34

Bob Smith

Important charity to support and great way to make some lovely memories. Best of luck and enjoy.

£34

Maria Woodham

£34

Anonymous

£34

Naja El-khoury

£34

Graves

£30

Sue Butcher

Great cause and a lovely father and son project. Keep going, well done so far.

£28

Sally Bruce

Go Team Packer🤩. You can do it. You’re really making a difference to help beat this horrible cancer.

£28

Leigh Hastings-murray

£28

Jess & Mike

Good luck!! So proud of you both ❤️ love Uncle Mikey, Aunty Jess, Cousin Rafe and Good Boy Gordon xxx

£28

Clarke Bull

Brilliant, Mate. Great cause, great example provided for the kids.

£25

Anonymous

£25

Anonymous

£25

Helia

Have the best time chasing each other and your targets. Lots of love

£24

Torsten Mills

£23

B Curtis Butchers Team

Good luck to you both! A great idea and a worthy cause! Go team Packer!

£23

Mandy

Well done lads 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

£23

Paul Butter

£23

The Broadhead Family

You'll smash it!

£23

Naomi

Great thing to do! Have fun as you run!

£20

Ruth Williams

What a wonderful thing to do, and do it together. Go smash it Love Auntie Pat and Ruth

£20

Craig Macon

Good luck guys from Craig, Em and Ev x

£18

George Pothecary

Well done James and Steve. Keep going!

£12

Natalie Whitmarsh

£10

Mitch Wood

Best of luck 👊🏻

£10

Matti

£10

Jesse Butt

Good luck Steve and James! 💪🏻 From Jesse and Laura x

£7

Darren Redgwell

Good Luck to you both raising lots of money for a great cause

£5

Les Chainey

Guide luck Steve.

£5

Kieran Patchton

Our Team Members