A little bit of lazy blogging, but here’s the press release just sent to local media about next weekend’s challenge…

Two Cheltenham runners are taking on the challenge of a lifetime, running the entire Cotswold Way for charity.

James Clay, 37, and Greg Hollingworth, 39, both of Lansdown, will be tackling the gruelling 104 mile off-road run over 3 days. Starting on Friday the friends, both members of Almost Athletes running club, will be running over 30 miles a day to raise funds and awareness for national charity CALM. who aim to reduce numbers of young male suicide. “We’ve both lost people to suicide. Men find it difficult to open up about their worries and mental health and CALM. offers a helpline for men to talk about their problems” James explained. “It’s incredible to think suicide is the biggest killer of men aged 20-45, and it’s wholly preventable if only guys could talk openly about how they feel. CALM. – or the Campaign Against Living Miserably – encourages men to talk freely when they are down or in crisis, and have loads of resources to help normal chaps get through the dark times we all experience occasionally”.

The runners will be setting off from Chipping Campden on Friday morning, with the finish outside Bath Cathedral on Sunday. “We’re really lucky to have some great support” said Greg, “we are able to get home each evening to recover and eat, and have friends joining us to run sections of the route which should provide a boost to morale. It will be fantastic to run past Cheltenham as well, we’re hoping to see lots of friendly faces along the way and to share our story with anyone who will listen. Promoting the charity is just as important as raising funds for us”.

You can support the guys by visiting www.virginmoneygiving.com/cotswoldwayultra and learn more about CALM at www.thecalmzone.net. The helpline number is 0800 585858

NOTES:

More information about the challenge can be found at https://whatjamesdid.com/2015/05/28/jim-and-greg-do-the-cotswold-way/

About CALM

The campaign against living miserably, CALM, is an award winning charity dedicated to preventing male suicide in the UK.

In 2014 CALM supported over 30,000 callers via its helpline and webchat. CALM runs:-

• a free, confidential helpline and webchat service is available every day of the week. 0800 585858 (national) 0808 802 5858 (London) open 7 days a week, 5pm – midnight;
• the website www.thecalmzone.net a source of information, stories and signposting for men who are down;
• publishes a quarterly men’s lifestyle magazine, CALMzine: www.thecalmzone.net/CALMzine

There were 6,233 probable suicides in the UK in 2013 of which 78% or 4,858, were male. Suicide is the single biggest killer of men aged 20-45 in the UK (NISRA, GRO, ONS 2013).

CALM is reg charity no’s. 1110621 and SC044347