**Update 2**

After completing 12 marathons in 12 months, i have taken on a new challenge this year in attempting to complete the Yukon River Quest. This was a 500 mile non-stop race down the Yukon River in one of the most remote places in the world. It took me 69hrs to complete the race with no sleep, but i made it only just. Bears, waves, rapids and hallucinations helped keep things pretty interesting along the way!

Check out www.runforcongo.wordpress.com for a full summary of the Yukon River Quest.

Thanks so much for your support.

Chris

 

**UPDATE**

Hi,

 
I’m pleased to say that yesterday I completed the 12th Marathon of the year. This brought the curtain down on a challenging but important year. With no marathon available to run, I decided to do a self-made marathon and head for Richmond Park, London, it was cold, it took 4 hours but I did it.
 
My aim this year was to get more people to understand and take an interest in the conflict of the DRC, because sadly not enough people appreciate the unstable environment people have to live in Eastern Congo. To give you an indication of what your donation has helped create this year, I’d be keen to show you some of the outputs that you’ve helped achieve:

• The Guardian - http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2010/dec/03/highlighting-rape-in-congo
  

• Channel 4 News - http://www.channel4.com/news/articles/world/africa/congo+rape+soldiers+we+abused+our+power/3764277.html     
  

• BBC World Service - http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/programmes/2010/09/100908_outlook_rape_congo.shtml
  

• Online blogging – the Running for Congo blog has had over 11,000 hits this year – www.runforcongo.wordpress.com  
  

This is only a selection of the coverage, but a tentative estimate is that approximately half a million people will have seen coverage of the DRC because of the challenge of running 12 marathons in 12 months for Congo.
 
I wanted to get more people to take an interest in the DRC and understand why I’m so passionate about the DRC and I have been overwhelmed by the messages of support that I have received. It has been astonishing to see people channel their support into such generous donations. Women for Women and Amnesty International have asked me to pass on their thanks and wish you a merry Christmas.
 
With your support I’ve been able to raise over £8,028, with a further £2000 donated through GiftAid. To put this in perspective for every mile that I’ve ran this year, people have donated over £31. This wouldn’t have happened without your support.
 
Now that this challenge has been completed I wanted to thank you once again for taking an interest in the goal of running 12 marathons in 12 months but most importantly helping me make more people aware of the conflict in the Eastern DRC and the severe impact that this has on women, children and men.
 
Many thanks and Happy Christmas,
 
Chris
 
 
Races completed this year:
 

• Gloucester marathon - 3.15mins
• London Ultramarathon (50km) - 4.25mins
• Duchy Marathon - 2.59mins
• London Marathon - 2.54mins
• South Downs off road race (11 miles)- 1.13mins
• Edinburgh marathon - 2.56mins
• Blenheim Triathlon (750m swim, 20km bike, 5km run) - 1.25mins
• Run for Congo (10km) - 38mins
• South downs Marathon – 3hrs 25
• Asics Treadmill Marathon - 3.15 mins
• Iron man UK (2.2 mile swim, 112 mile bike, marathon) - 11hrs 58mins
• London Triathlon (1km swim, 40km bike, 10km run) - 2 hrs 27mins
• Marathon in the Congo - 3.45mins
• Nottingham Marathon - 2.56mins
• New York Marathon - 2.55mins
• Run for Congo (10km)- 38mins
• Self-made Marathon – 4 hours
  

 

 

The conflict in the east of the Congo has been described as the deadliest in the world since WWII with an estimated 5.4 million dead (2.7 million of them children), over 9000 people were raped in the Kivu province alone last year and in the first three months of 2010 115,000 lost their homes.

 

Despite this the Democratic Republic of Congo receives very little coverage in the UK and awareness of this deadly conflict remains low amongst people in the UK

 

I want to change this.

 

It felt somewhat contradictory attempting to run 12 marathons in 12 months to raise awareness of the conflict in the DRC but not actually visiting the region myself during the course of this challenge.

 

So i decided a few months back to head to the Congo this August and attempt to run a marathon there. If you think this is stupid, then you wont be alone, almost everyone i’ve said this too has told me that this a ridiculous idea. Some have even called it the most dangerous marathon ever…

 

My plan is to head to the DRC and not only run a marathon there, but embark on a harder challenge of communicating to the people of the UK the day to day struggle that people face in the Congo. To do this i am going to document my trip through short video clips and interviews of the people of the Congo so they can tell their story – 26 miles and 26 stories.

 

l intend to begin my run from the border of the DRC and Rwanda, along Lake Kivu, through the refugee camps, to a number of projects supporting the victims of this crisis, past the UN barracks, up to the frontline of the conflict and through the villages that have been decimated by this conflict.

 

I have no experience in filming, documentary making or photography. I’m approaching this as a amateur, but being the external optimist i’m hoping that this will be enough to help people understand what life is like in the Congo.

 

 

Through 2010 i have embarked on a mission to try and make people in the UK aware of the conflict in the Congo. To do this i am attempting to run 12 marathons in 12 months, one of these marathons will be ran in the Congo itself.

 

It’s a silly idea, but hopefully by pushing my body to its limits i’ll be able to make a few people aware of the conflict in the DRC.

 

 

I have set myself the challenge of running 12 marathons in 12 months. Below is a list of the races and challenges that i’ve completed so far as well as the ones that i have upcoming. When you write it is quite scary to look at, but at the same time i get big boost knowing what i’ve completed so far!!

 

To date i’ve completed the following races:

 

• Gloucester Marathon – 3hrs 15 mins

 

• London Ultra-marathon 4hrs 30 mins (50km)

 

• Duchy Marathon – 2hrs 59 mins

 

• London Marathon – 2hrs 54 mins

 

• Saab Salamon Turbo X traill in Bracknell – 1hr 12 mins

 

• Edinburgh Marathon – 2hrs 56 mins • Blenheim Triathlon – 1hr 25 mins

 

• South Downs Marathon – 3hrs 25 mins

 

• Run for Congo 10km – 38 mins

 

Over the coming months he will be taking on:

 

• Completing a marathon on a treadmill in the Asics store

 

• UK Iron Man in Bolton (2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike ride, 26.2 mile run)

 

• London Triathlon

 

• Marathon in the Congo

 

• Running the length of Hadrian’s Wall

 

• Nottingham Marathon

 

• Running the Capital Ring in London

 

• Nice Marathon

 

• Amsterdam Marathon

 

• Luton Marathon

 

I anticipate that by the end of 201o i will have ran over 500 competitive miles….

 

If you have a race you think i should do then please leave a comment i’ll be happy to take part if i can!