Staff Run for Stella - Coast to Coast along Hadrian's Wall

Date: Monday 12 July 2010

On Saturday 5^th June Robert Bacon led a team of staff runners in a relay run along the 84-mile length of Hadrian’s Wall to raise money for the Stella Fund. The team included Messrs Bacon, Bold, Buckingham, Hooley, Jones, Marshall, and Mr and Mrs Millard. Departing St Edmund’s on Friday afternoon, we drove to the Lake District, where we spent the night in a barn kindly loaned by Stamford School - Mr Bacon’s previous employer and Mr Marshall’s alma mater. Two of Mr Bacon’s former Stamford colleagues joined the team.

Following reveille at 3.50am and a rapid drive to the start line in Bowness-on-Solway. the first pair of runners set off at 5.30am, wearing bright red polo shirts bearing the motif “Running for Stella” and running through still-sleeping villages.

Mr Bacon and Mr Hooley – combined age 104 – set a fast pace as the team reached Carlisle and as the temperature and the route climbed thereafter it became apparent that the decision to run the route in stages of four miles was an eminently sensible one.

Mr and Mrs Millard finished their stint rapidly, handing over to Mr Buckingham and Mr Marshall for their second leg across terrain that grew increasingly demanding after the pleasant early stages along the Solway Firth and the Eden Valley.

Our spirits were lifted by generous donations made by people en route. This helped us find extra fortitude as the conditions became more difficult. Notable landmarks en route included Robin Hood’s tree – featured in Kevin Costner’s film – and the well-preserved Roman forts at Birdoswald and Housesteads.

This is truly stunning countryside and the remains of the Roman wall were frequently impressive.

As we crossed the highest point, the continual ascents and descents took their toll and old injuries haunted some including Mr Jones, whose grit was inspirational as he continued despite considerable pain.

After a leg of almost continuous ascent, Messrs Bacon and Hooley handed over to Team Millard and the terrain flattened out once more and as afternoon melted into evening there was a clear sense of relief as the route descended into the Tyne valley and the outskirts of Newcastle.

We arrived in Wallsend, by the Roman fort of Segedunum, at 7.26pm, completing the run as we started it, as a team. Each pair covered at least 17 miles on this coast to coast crossing, some individuals covering 20 miles and Mr Millard a full marathon.

There remained the small matter of the 400-mile drive home and it was a weary team that arrived back at St Edmund’s at 2.30am, twenty three and a half hours after rising from a bed in a barn to the run the Wall. But we had done it!

At the time of writing the event has raised over £4500 pounds for the Stella Appeal.

Special thanks to Robert Bacon for planning and organising the event, Tom Hooley for providing the photographs, all runners for their preparation and participation and for everyone who supported us by donating to the Stella Appeal. Our continued best wishes to Stella!

Paul Bold