I ran 112 miles in 30 hours straight around Jarrow’s Monkton Stadium track
A South Shields runner has completed yet another mammoth challenge.
Joe Larkin, the owner of South Shields-based Believe to Run, has completed his latest mammoth challenge which saw him run for 30 hours straight around the track at the Monkton Stadium, in Jarrow.
His previous challenges have been seen him run from South Shields to Paris in 2024 and then from Madrid back to South Shields earlier this year.
Having started at 9am on Saturday, November 29, Joe ran through torrential rain, the entire night, and up until 3pm on Sunday, November 30, without any sleep.
The challenge saw him cover 112 miles, which was the equivalent of 451 laps around the track, as he looked to inspire people who maybe struggling with their mental health in the local community.
Speaking to the Shields Gazette at the 29-hour mark on Sunday, Joe gave an insight into how difficult the run had been for him and revealed that his inspirational message had worked.
He said: “I’ve just pushed and pushed since 9am yesterday [Saturday, November 29] but because of the weather, I’ve had to run through water so I’ve got something like trench foot and loads of blisters.
“I’ve been in agony for something like 18 hours now but I’m just pushing on.
“The messages of support have been unreal on social media, especially with the weather, and I think it has showed that I don’t give up and inspire people out there.
“I got a message off someone telling me that I’ve saved a life and that’s why I do it for - it is unreal.
“I’ve had people come along and shake my hand for everything that I’ve been doing and that’s why I wanted to do something local to help inspire the community.”
In a social media post after he finished the run, Joe described the challenge as “one of the toughest things” that he has done and thanked everyone who had supported him throughout the challenge.
You can find out more about Believe to Run at: https://www.facebook.com/Believetorunn and https://www.instagram.com/believetorunn/.