Sarah Cox is a warrior. Children in Need 5 Marathons in 5 days. What is the most challenging thing you have achieved?

[TemperatureRising]

What a hero, her strength and resilience is amazing. Saw her yesterday, Gethin Jones running alongside her, she was so exhausted she could hardly speak. How she is keeping young, I don't know!

https://www.bbc.co.uk/live/cy7exkn0zjet

I think a long hike, doing my Duke of Edinburgh Award is the most physically exhausted I've ever bee, carrying a huge rucksack up hills and getting lost!

Yep - she already has arthritis in one knee. It is too much tbh.

Are you ok?

Running 5 Marathons in 5 days and posting on MN….what do you think, if you use your common sense?

I’m not really following it but I like Sara. I hope she’s OK.

I know a few people who have recently trekked to Everest Base Camp, which sounds fucking horrific

Apparently all the radio presenters names are drawn from a hat, those who took part in the previous three years are excluded. I imagine they can't really say no, it's likely in their contract.

I don’t agree with it. I read 10 weeks ago she started training and couldn’t even do 5k. Get Paula Radcliffe or someone similar instead imo.

Why can’t people
jyst be charitable without all this bull shit

Getting out of bed for work is the most I can manage.

Yeah sounds good but in reality it isn’t that good. There are people who have run 30 marathons in 30 days, some do 30 desert marathons in 30 days (Spencer Matthews set a world record with that tbf), others do back to back triathlons. Hell there are people running 170km in a day. 5 marathons over 5 days is at the low end of ultra running IMO.

Are you ok? Bit tired?

That can't be how they do it! What would they get 80+ year old Tony Blackburn to do?!

But it's all relative surely? You're comparing her with athletes who have thousands of miles on their legs. She's a previously untrained radio presenter doing her best for charity. Whilst I am a bit critical of her lack of previous training (because it really does seem she's struggling and I don't know who thought it was a great idea for her to run 5 marathons in 5 days) I do still admire her determination and mental fortitude.

I hate these potentially damaging challenges. I won't listen or donate to this level of stupid.

Oof, you’ll be missed.

She hasn’t trained before? I guess this just makes her stupid not brave. She could seriously hurt herself and sets a very poor example for others.

I am routing for Sara but agree the it doesn't make great radio but clearly she is raising money for amazing causes so it needs the air time but it does all get a bit gushy.
Eddie izzard did 27 marathons in 27 days for comic relief ,ifs its possible to make 5 marathons in 5 days look like an underwhelming achievement it's this😂
Raising money for charity and putting your body through such a gruelling schedule is.. Awe inspiring, a bit crazy, a tiny bit self promoting??
Presumably she volunteered and was training for ages before they actually announced it, she couldn't have got to this level in about 6 weeks.
But the pressure to keep going must be immense.
Sadly I think sadly cin, comic relief etc feel the need to do this kind of thing to raise us much money as they can and it get all the publicity.
Personally found Jo Brands comic relief walk east coast to West Coast in February in pouring rain was a lot more relatable as an overweight middle aged woman and not already super fit really putting herself out of her comfort zone and doing something very challenging but not impossible, was for me, more inspiring as it seemed achievable but tough.
Anyway I am wishing Sara all the best!

From what I gather, she's just completed 12 weeks of marathon training including a bit of S and C. So yeah, completely undertrained. She's obviously gone for it off her own back but I'm not sure who was advising her behind the scenes. Completely mental .

Wow, some real mood hoovers on here eh? Well done Sara! All the best!

She wouldn't be doing it if she wasn't up to it FGS. Some people need to get a grip!

That just simply won't be true. There's no enforceable bbc contract that makes someone run 5 consecutive marathons.

imagine if it had been Elaine Paige whose name got drawn..

If she’s really at risk of doing permanent damage, then the issue is taking this on without having any base fitness or doing any sort of training. 26 miles a day for 5 days, at a mix of walking and running, is a challenge, sure, but it’s not totally mad.

It should be achievable for most able bodied people, with a bit of prep. I do wonder if the average person walks the length of themselves most days.

Can just imagine her am dram 'break a leg' listeners doing their terrible American accents at her as she wafted by on a sedan chair.

Nah. Just because she's a women doesn't mean she's a "hero".

the whole thing is dull. The only bonus is that someone else is doing her show this week

She'd have been chauffeur driven!

I just think it's a shame that all that effort hasn't been put into something more productive.

She has got a base level of fitness and has been training but 50 year old knees and hips won't thank you for running 100 miles.

This has made me laugh. I hope EP gets to do a challenge next year- I’d definitely donate.