AMATEUR dramatics enthusiasts have been swapping treading the boards for hitting the treadmill.
Stephen Sullivan, Craig Richardson and Mark Lamb ran the equivalent of almost three marathons while taking on the challenge for the Westovian Theatre Society.
The lads, all in the cast of the pantomime Jack and the Beanstalk, took it in turns to run on a treadmill at Trocadero’s in Prince Georg Square, South Shields, clocking up 91 miles in 24 hours.
Stephen, a DJ at Trocadero’s and Bar 44, said: “It was a lot harder than we thought it was going to be.
“We didn’t even think about how far we might go. We were all just focused on it being 24 hours, so we couldn’t believe we did 91 miles between us.
“Just staying awake was really hard as well because we were all so worn out.
“There were problems getting the treadmill to the bar as well, so we didn’t get started until about 2.30pm and that extra time awake killed us.”
The 26-year-old, of South Shields, added: “We all got really competitive towards the end, and we were keeping track of our distances and trying to beat each other.
“We did 30-minute intervals each, and we were doing about 3.9km each time.
“I beat that towards the end and got 4.2km, but then Craig smashed it on his last turn and did 4.8km.
“I have to say, though, that even though he got the biggest distance, he also did the smallest.
“We have to say a huge thank-you to all the people who came along to support us.
“Lots of people brought food for us as well, and it really helped us get through.”
The lads took on the challenge during the bar’s weekly karaoke night, so every time they stepped onto the treadmill, they belted out a song or two.
And to make sure they didn’t slack off when the bar was shut, they were on a live camera feed the whole time.
Mark, 49, also of South Shields, said: “I actually really enjoyed it, and I think we surprised ourselves by how much we actually managed to do.
“I didn’t have much time to rest because I was back to work the next day, but I think the other two stayed in bed all day.
“The people who came along to support us were brilliant, and it really spurred us on, and, of course, we ended up competing with each other.”
Their efforts raised £300 on the night, and money is still coming in.
Twitter: @shieldsgazvicki
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