*Update 29th March*

At the half way stage of the trek on 18th March, we were 118 km short of our schedule with only 30% of the trek completed. This was unfortunately down to circumstances beyond our control as one of our team was unable to run at all for over a fortnight. I really didn't think that we had a chance of completing the challenge.

However, all three of us have made a huge effort to turn things around over the last week or so and we're now on course to complete the 600 km on Saturday, with only 112 km left!

I've managed to double my weekly target (arthritic big toes and right hip just about holding together), while Fionn and Sam have been achieving some remarkable feats.

Fionn has continued to keep well ahead of his mileage targets, including an 18 miler yesterday, as well as maintaining his gruelling daily 35 flights of stairs in his gorilla suit.

Meanwhile, Sam managed a 20 mile run on the previous Sunday, followed by a magnificent solo marathon yesterday around the green spaces of North London, such as Hampstead Heath and Victoria Park.

We're all looking forward to putting our feet up on Saturday night!

Oisin

Original fundraising story:

The Cross River Gorilla Project (CRGP) is a North East-based UK charity whose key aim is to help conserve the critically-endangered Cross River Gorilla, with less than 300 remaining today, along with its habitat in the rainforests of the Lebialem Highlands of Cameroon. This is a global biodiversity hotspot, forming part of the Congo Basin, the second largest rainforest on Earth.

It is equally important to support the surrounding communities and help them develop sustainable jobs and livelihoods so that humans can live in harmony with their environment. CRGP works closely with partners at ERuDeF, a long-established Cameroon NGO, to help make this all happen. The challenge is even greater now because of a recent humanitarian crisis caused by internal conflict in the country.

Rangers play a vital role in protecting the gorillas and other endangered species in the Lebialem Hghlands, but can not afford to send their kids to school at present. Just £60 can pay for a child to attend school for 1 year. Any kind donations to CRGP will support the families of rangers and also go towards costs like bio-monitoring equipment.

So what exactly are we going to do to deserve your hard-earned cash?!

Well, we three MacNamaras (me and our two sons, Fionn and Sam) are running 600km over a month as a team. 600km is the boundary that roughly surrounds the Lebialem Highlands. The challenge set by our charity started officially on 3rd March 2021, World Wildlife Day and runs until 3rd April. So we have less than a month left to run, jog, walk or stagger that distance between the three of us.

And if that's not enough for you, Fionn will be doing additional personal challenge too. Fionn is climbing a total of 830 flights of stairs in the 7 storey block where he lives - but wearing a head-to-toe gorilla suit - and every day . This is roughly 2500m, the altitude of the Highlands where the gorillas live.

Please donate generously! Every little bit is welcome. Thanks very much in advance.

The MacNamaras