81-year-old to embark on mammoth trek before taking part in Great North Run

An 81-year-old ‘fitness fanatic’ from Wakefield, will be embarking on a huge trek of 124 miles, before taking part in the Great North Run - as a way to raise money for The Salvation Army.

Andy Peddle, will be setting off from his home in Wakefield on Saturday, September 2 and will end in Newcastle the day before he will take part in the biggest half marathon in the UK.

Peddle is encouraging others to join him along his route, which will include Leeds, Harrogate, Ripon, Northallerton, Darlington before finishing in Newcastle via the Angel of the North and The Salvation Army’s Newcastle City Temple church.

Peddle, who will be donning his signature top hat on his trek, said: “I’d been thinking about a challenge for my ninth decade after completing the London Marathon in 2015 for The Salvation Army.

This won’t be easy as my aim is to do 10 miles on the first day, then 16 miles a day until the final stretch when I’ll do five miles to ease off in time for the Great North Run, which is another 13 miles that I plan to run and walk. I am in training now and more than ready to go!”

“The idea is to invite others to walk alongside me and get sponsored as well. We’ve already got lots of people planning to join us at the start from Millennium Park, Rothwell, near my home in Wakefield, but I would love to invite others along the route.”

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Peddle continued: “People can walk half a mile or 10 miles, depending on how much they would like to do and bearing in mind I have to cover 16 miles a day I’ll be going at quite a pace!”

Peddle has previously volunteered with The Salvation Army’s modern slavery team as a driver transporting and accompanying rescued survivors to safe houses.

Speaking on why he has chosen to support The Salvation Army once again, Peddle explained: “I feel passionately about doing this because I am passionate about what The Salvation Army does and what it stands for.

“It is the church I belong to, but it has this vision of helping other people which has been there since the start. I’m glad to be part of that vision and do my own little bit, to do it at my age and encourage other people to do it too.”

Peddle is hoping to raise £8,100, which is a hundred pounds for each year of his life so far.

Major Kathy Betteridge, Director of Anti Trafficking and Modern Slavery for The Salvation Army, said: “We are so grateful to Andy for undertaking this incredible challenge to support survivors of modern slavery as they rebuild their lives following the most horrific exploitation and abuse.”

To sponsor Andy Peddle, you can visit his Great North Run page.