Felsted sixth-formers tackle Armed Forces charity marathon

Eighteen-year-olds Ben Hewett and Tom Steingold took on the challenge, known as the 'Bob Graham Round', on June 21, with the aim to complete it in 24 hours.

The challenge is almost equivalent to climbing to the top of Mount Everest, and is one of the most demanding courses in the fell running world.

Covering a distance of 106km, the course includes scaling 42 of the highest peaks in the Lake District.

Ben and Tom, who are both Army Cadets, aimed to raise £5,000 for SSAFA, the Armed Forces charity.

Tom Steingold and Ben Hewett from Felsted School took on the marathon challenge (Image: Felsted School)

"We chose to raise funds for SSAFA because of the vital support they provide to the military community," Ben explained.

"As the oldest tri-service charity, they have a long history of assisting serving personnel, veterans and their families, but they are not as well-known as some other charities.

"We believe it is important to give them the recognition they deserve."

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Both Ben and Tom have been Army Cadets at Felsted for five years, and last year completed the National Three Peaks Challenge, also to raise funds for SSAFA.

This year they have managed to fit training around studying for Ben's A-levels and Tom's IB diploma.

Tom said: "Balancing schoolwork and training has been a challenge, but we are very committed to our goal.

Tom Steingold and Ben Hewett from Felsted School took on the marathon challenge (Image: Felsted School)

"We managed to maintain a rigorous schedule of running 60 to 70km per week, supplemented with strength and conditioning sessions in the gym.

"Even as we prepared for our final exams this summer, we remained focused on this important cause and the difference we hope to make."

After starting the run at 3am, the boys managed 44 miles of the 66-mile course before it was stopped for safety reasons due to the extreme heat.

Ben said they plan to attempt the run again next year, and added: "Tom and I were disappointed with the outcome, but enjoyed the challenge and are happy that we have raised a good amount for a great charity."

To donate go to https://www.gofundme.com/f/bobgrahamround-for-ssafa.