Simon Barnes arrived at John O'Groats on Saturday, 12th September 2009 to prepare for his marathon run of 871 miles to Lands End in aid of MSRC. He was met by Highland Councilor Willie Mackay along with his wife Glynis. As Simon set off in blustery conditions he was joined on the first few miles by local runner David Hall from The North Highland Harriers.

Our first photograph shows Simon at the official sign post in John O'Groats with the Pentland Firth and the Orkney Isles in the background along with Councilor Mackay( first left)and his wife Glynis second left. Also in the picture is Stuart Wood, Simon and David Hall right.

The second photograph shows Simon about to be flagged off just before 11 a.m. at the famous starting line in John O Groats on his great run to Lands End.

Simon at the start, John O'Groats 12th September

Simon completed his epic journey of 874 miles  at 11.35pm last night, Thursday 1st October!

Everyone at MSRC is astounded at the feat that Simon has achieved.  To run for 20 consecutive days covering the miles he has done is truly amazing.  He has persevered through injury, traffic, sleep deprivation and exhaustion when many others would have given up. 

Simon has completed this run just in time to celebrate his 40th birthday – Happy Birthday Simon! 

We are very grateful for the money that Simon has raised and the increased awareness he has gained for the MS Community.  We would also like to take this opportunity to thank everyone that has supported Simon along the way – people came out to cheer him on, physiotherapists helped with his recovery, people ran with him for some miles and his drivers were with him all the way. 

Congratulations Simon, we salute you!

You can still sponsor Simon at www.justgiving.com/sibar

Simon at the finish line

Land's End

Justgiving Blog....

On Sunday 27th September Simon Barnes began his 16 day run from John O’Groats all the way to Lands End. This massive feat will see Simon running 871 miles in just over two weeks! That’s an average of 55 miles a day – more than two marathons per day!

Simon is attempting this challenge in order to raise some much needed funds for the Multiple Sclerosis Resource Centre. He also hopes to be able to boost awareness about the disease and the work of the MSRC by doing this run. Simon will be running this staggering distance in the colours of Higgy’s Heroes – a fundraising group for the MS Resource Centre named after patron of MSRC, Alastair Hignell (former English rugby union international, cricketer and BBC reporter).

We caught up with Simon before he left, to have a quick chat about this incredible challenge...................

Read the full interview here

This from Elaine Kale.

I have just returned from running 10 miles with Simon.

I met them in Okehampton at about 1900hrs this evening having made them a food parcel and some ice packs. 

Simon and I then ran out of the town, round the north west corner of Dartmoor at Sourton and then on to the old A30  which is quieter and more picturesque than the new A30. 

Simon is in good spirits considering what he has undertaken in the last 18 days and the pain he is in.  Having been concerned earlier on in the day, I was relieved to see that he is managing himself brilliantly and I can now see that he may well finish by his deadline of 1700hrs tomorrow. 

I left him at Lewdown on the old A30 with about 85 miles to go at 2115hrs this evening.  Its a beautiful partially moonlit evening in West Devon and we coasted down silvery strips of road from the high ground of the moor.

If I didn't have to work at court tomorrow I think I might have carried on myself! 

There are a few more hills ahead of him at Launceston and then over Bodmin Moor but when I left him he was talking about keeping running rather than walking.  I think he will for a good few hours, if not most of the night. 

I took some photographs but they have not come out well in the dark.

Elaine

Simon is still making steady progress on his journey with the final stretch now within grasp. Having battled with injuries which have caused him a great deal of pain, Simon is now battling with fatigue and he still has some way to go to make his destination tomorrow evening.
 
Having finished running at 10.45pm last night, Simon is intending running through the night to ensure he reaches Land's End tomorrow evening.
 
If you haven't yet sent a message of support, it's not too late to do so, Simon is really very tired and now needs your support more then ever, so do email abi@msrc.co.uk and we will pass your message to Simon.
 
Simon's donation page is www.justgiving.com/sibar and you can donate via this secure site.

Yesterday was a tough day for Simon and in his own words it was "absolutely dreadful". However, he is in much better spirits this morning, the sun is shining, he is feeling much better and back on track with a mere 173 miles to go!
 
Simon said "I am determined to finish on Thursday, that's what's driving me now, I want to finish on Thursday and as far as I am concerned, it's a definite!"
 
Good to hear Simon so positive and focused on completing the run and your messages of support really do help, so please keep sending them to abi@msrc.co.uk .
 
Simon is heading towards Taunton today so if you are in that area, do keep an eye out for him and give him a wave, cheer or toot the horn if you see him!
 
If you do spot Simon and get any photographs, please send them to abi@msrc.co.uk and we will get them on the website.

If you would like to donate, please visit www.justgiving.com/sibar

After a long and tough day running, Simon covered 54 miles yesterday! He is still on target to finish his run on Thursday but with some distance still to cover he has got a challenging few days ahead!
 
Simon will be crossing the Severn Bridge at around lunchtime today wearing "the shoe" so give him a toot and wave if you spot him!

He will then be running through Bristol as he heads towards Cornwall and will be on the "final stretch".
 
We are expecting more photos very soon and we will update the website as soon as we have them.
 
Please do keep sending messages of support, Simon has run so far and it has been a very tough challenge, your support really does help so email abi@msrc.co.uk and we will forward your message.
 
If you would like to donate, please visit www.justgiving.com/sibar

After running for 15 hours yesterday, Simon was up again at 6.30am this morning to continue his long journey.
 
He said "I did some night running for the first time and ut was actually easier as the cars seemed to give me a bit more room! Yesterday was a long day and very painful. I'm meeting some runners later on this morning who are going to run with me today so that's going to be helpful. I'm aiming to be in Chepstow by this evening so another long day ahead!!"
 
Simon is aiming to reach Land's End on Thursday so there is still time to send your messages of support to abi@msrc.co.uk.
 
To donate to Simon's run, visit www.justgiving.com/sibar

Simon is still making good progress although forced to finish earlier than planned after he ran out of pavement!

He has a long tough day ahead, he will be running until about 10pm this evening, with a planned very early start tomorrow so under a little bit of pressure to get to Bristol tomorrow evening.

We found this motivational quote and sent it to Simon.

"Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out just how far they can go".

Keep going Simon, we know you can do it!

Please keep your messages coming in to abi@msrc.co.uk or to donate visit www.justgiving.com/sibar

Report from Kirsty Shaw

Stuart Wood, Simon’s ex-driver went to meet up with Simon again today.

Stuart was on his way to football in Liverpool and took a detour to catch up with Simon, who was 14 miles from Shrewsbury.

Stuart says that Simon was in good spirits. And by the looks of the photos Stuart took him a snack!

Simon had a comfortable day running yesterday and finished in Wigan where he was made most welcome by Sue and Jim Young. Simon said "Sue and Jim were fantastic, so hospitable, and it was lovely to enjoy some great food, great company and a comfy bed! They really made me welcome and I really appreciated their support".
 
Due to pre-arranged commitments, Simon is heading to Stroud today where he will run through Gloucester accompanied by a group of eleven year old children from a local school. Make sure they don't beat you Simon! You can read the story here: http://tinyurl.com/yartker

He will then be returning back to where he stopped running to continue on with his journey - we've heard a rumour that "The Shoe"

may be making an appearence somewhere across the Severn Bridge..........watch this space.
 
Message of support can be sent to abi@msrc.co.uk and donations can be made at www.justgiving.com/sibar 

Total Miles covered: 491
 
Simon is eating up those miles! With 380 miles to go, Simon is making great progress, sounding very confident and positive for his finish in Land's End next week.
 
He is currently running though Lancaster and hoping to arrive in Chorley tonight ready for an early start tomorrow. Simon said "It's lovely running through Lancaster, it's very scenic and I'm enjoying the run!".
 
Thank you to everyone who has sent messages of support, they are greatly appreciated by Simon and help keep him motivated on those long, long days! We are hoping to get some more photos through very soon and we will get them on the website ASAP.
 
If you would like to donate, please visit www.justgiving.com/sibar and send your messages of support to abi@msrc.co.uk

Total miles covered: 435
 
Simon is half-way!!
 
He is making steady progress down the country but has now encountered a new problem of running out of daylight!
 
Today he is making his way to Lancaster covering approx 45 miles, but to have covered such a huge distance already is pretty amazing.
 
We'll keep you updated on his daily progress and his planned finish day in Land's End.
 
Do keep the messages coming, this is a really tough endurance event and Simon really needs your support, email abi@msrc.co.uk and we will forward your messages to Simon.
 
If you would like to donate, please visit www.justgiving.com/sibar

Day 10 Update from Kirsty
 
I drove down to meet up with Simon and Stuart again today. I caught them in Moffat, while Simon was having a well earned break to stock up on some pasta.

He is getting excited as he is getting closer to England!

I didn’t tell them I was going this time as I wasn’t sure whether I would get there in time, so it was a bit of a surprise for them when I arrived! I took them some Tunnocks Tea Cakes as a treat (a well known Scottish delicacy), I hope they liked them!

Simon had already put in a couple of long stints of running (totalling 20 miles). He set off in good spirits looking forward to eating up the miles.
 
Many thanks to Kirsty for giving Simon so much support along the route - you did a brilliant job!
 
Simon is really pounding out those miles, he still has a long way to go and your messages of support keep him going when he is out there alone, so please do keep sending them to abi@msrc.co.uk and we will forward them to him.

Day 9 Report from Kirsty Shaw.

I went down to Broughton in the Scottish Borders tonight to catch up with Simon and Stuart again.  

I took a little entourage. My 15 year old cousin Robert Shaw who ran the Glasgow 10K for MSRC with me 2 weeks ago and my 9 year old nephew Lindsay Shaw who wanted to say thank you to Simon for all his hard work.

I hope we made Simon feel supported and I hope we cheered him up. He was planning on an early night to get ready for a long 60 miles tomorrow. He was confident that he will wake up refreshed and ready for a good days running. He needs to get back to England he says!! I suspect he is just thinking that the further South he goes the less cold it will be at night! 

Kirsty x

 Stuart Wood has been Simon's support driver and right hand man for the first full week and we are extremely grateful for all he has done for Simon.

Total Miles Covered: 285

Kirsty Shaw sent us this report for yesterday.

"I met Simon today in North Queensferry and when he arrived after running 40 odd miles of running he looked like he had just returned from a stroll! 

I crossed the bridge with him and Lloyd feeling rather underdressed...what with Simon in his giant trainer and Lloyd disguised as a tree! We created quite a stir on the bridge with commuters slowing down to video us on their camera phones!...and to toot their horns in support!!! 

Was great fun. 

As you know I ran the Great Scottish 10K Run last week in Glasgow and having met Simon I am feeling inspired to get on with my training and get myself fitter to run faster. Also, having MS, I feel very overwhelmed that Simon is carrying out this mammoth challenge in support of the MSRC to help people with MS.  

Thank you Simon for doing this for us. You are AMAZING!"

Simon will now be increasing his mileage and running for up to 14 hours a day. Please keep the support coming as the next seven days will really be tough for Simon and he needs the support! You can send your messages of support  via email to abi@msrc.co.uk and we will forward them to Simon. 

If you would like to donate, please visit www.justgiving.com/sibar

Simon is heading towards Edinburgh where he will run across the Forth Bridge in a 12ft Puma trainer! Accompanying Simon will be Lloyd Moreton, a Marathon veteran who will also be dressed in a rather unusual costume – a tree!

So, if you are in the area and you see a giant trainer and a tree running across the bridge, you will know who it is!

2pm - Friday 18th Sept update
 
Simon is aiming for a total of 45 miles today. He isn't feeling too bad, slight blisters but nothing to worry about! He should be running across the bridge around 4pm wearing the giant puma trainer!
 
He has actually been adding more miles onto his total as he has been avoiding the A9 at all costs, purely for safety reasons!

We will get photos on the website as soon as possible, communication with Simon is limited so please do bear with us.

But, please do keep the messages coming in, it will be a huge milestone for Simon to finish running through Scotland and he needs your support – please email abi@msrc.co.uk  and we will make sure your message gets to him. 

Total Miles Covered: 217

Physio provided by John Thomson from Bannatynes Gym, Perth - http://www.bannatyne.co.uk/fitness/facilities-at-perth.htm

In spite of the cold, Simon managed to run 45 miles yesterday although not without a struggle. He said “Yesterday was a really tiring day and it was a struggle, I didn’t sleep very well either which hasn’t helped. It’s still quite cold this morning although the sun is shining which does help. Reaching Edinburgh is going to be big help, and I’m looking forward to meeting up with a few supporters.”

Simon still has a long way to go so please do keep your messages of support coming in, email abi@msrc.co.uk and we will forward your message to Simon.

Thank you to everyone who has supported Simon en route so far, especially the sports therapists who have been providing Simon with a much needed sports massage!

You can still donate online at www.justgiving.com/sibar

Kingussie - Pitlochry

Distance Covered 45 miles 

Day 4 of the JOGLE has been and gone with Simon running over 40 miles in one day! Very impressive! He said “I did really well yesterday, I ran over 40 miles and I felt really good, the last 10 miles I was flying along and the legs are feeling ok! I’ve got 132 miles to go before Edinburgh so aiming for about 50 miles today. But, it is freezing cold this morning, about 3 degrees so I’ve got lots of layers on to keep warm.” 

Please keep your messages of support coming in, email abi@msrc.co.uk and we will forward them to Simon.  

If you would like to donate, please visit www.justgiving.com/sibar

Simon Barnes with Sports Therapist John Harling at his night in Kingussie

Inverness - Kingussie
 
Distance covered - 43 miles

Physio provided by John Harling from Kingussie - http://www.highlandmassage.co.uk/index.html.

Day four of the JOGLE and Simon is making his way down the A9 and dodging the lorries! It’s been a chilly start but with 50 miles to cover today, Simon has got a hard run ahead of him.

He said “Everything is going well, I am ahead of schedule and I want to give myself plenty of time for arriving in Edinburgh. My legs are feeling a bit heavy today, but apart from that everything is going well, although I will be looking forward to getting off the A9 and away from the lorries!”

Please do keep those messages of support coming in for Simon, it does mean a lot to him that people are following his progress and he really does need your words of encouragement so email abi@msrc.co.uk and we will pass your message on.

Brora - Inverness
 
Distance covered - 57 miles

Physio provided by: Fiona Thorburn from Alness.

The rain and wind eventually died down yesterday as Simon carried on his run towards Brora.

Feeling a little tired at the end of the run Simon said “I was getting a bit tired towards the end of the run but after I had finished, I needed to have something to eat and afterwards I felt fine.  This morning it’s a light rain and a bit foggy, I’m aiming to do over 40 miles today so increasing the miles covered.

Radio Gloucester called me this morning for an interview which was great as they made sure the listeners knew I was running for MSRC. Thank you to everyone who is sending messages of support, they are great.”

Ashley Loveridge, sports editor of the Stroud News and Journal said “It was great to hear Simon on the radio this morning, he sounds very positive and everything is ticking along nicely, although this is a massive challenge, he is very focused”.

We are still receiving messages of support everyday for Simon, even from as far away as Australia! So please do keep them coming, email abi@msrc.co.uk with your message and we will forward them to Simon.

You can also sponsor Simon at www.justgiving.com/sibar

Dunbeath - Brora

Distance Covered:  37 miles

Simon completed the first leg of his journey covering 37 miles on his first day. Not without some challenges as he fought against a 30 mph cross wind for about 25 miles. Simon said “At times I was having to lean at an angle to try and run against the wind, it was a real battle. After 25 miles the wind changed direction and I was running into a head wind! The weather has calmed down this morning but it is raining so I need to be careful not to let my feet get too wet as that can cause blisters. I’m going to keep it nice and steady this morning, it’s a bit hilly so I’m hoping to cover the same sort of distance as yesterday.”

We would like to thank Councillor Willie MacKay who officially started Simon’s JOGLE and also to David Hall from the North Highland Harriers running club who accompanied Simon on the first few miles – we greatly appreciate your support! 

Don’t forget that you can send a message of support to Simon via abi@msrc.co.uk, we are in contact with Simon on a daily basis and we will ensure your message gets to him. 

If you would like to donate to Simon’s fundraising efforts, please visit www.justgiving.com/sibar

John O’Groats to Dunbeath

Distance Covered: 35 miles

And he is off!

Simon has commenced his epic run from John O’Groats to Land’s End covering the 871 miles in just 16 days!

Simon was met this morning by Caithness Councillor William MacKay who officially started the JOGLE and David Hall from a local running club along with several runners joined Simon for the first few miles.

With the weather conditions very windy but dry, Simon is hoping for a good start to his run.

The last minute preparations have gone to plan and Simon said “I’ve had a great night’s sleep, my legs are feeling fine, I’ve had a good breakfast and having not run for a couple of days, I’m just looking forward to getting started”.

So, 35 miles today and the JOGLE has commenced!

It’s not too late to send your messages of support to abi@msrc.co.uk, we will forward them to Simon and he greatly appreciates the support.

To support Simon with a donation, you can visit www.justgiving.com/sibar