Jarrow pub boss completes 100-mile run round the North East in under 24 hours - smashing target to fund guide dog in memory of friend

Carl being supported by the community during the run

A pub boss has successfully completed his mission of running 100 miles in one day – and smashed his sponsorship target to fund a guide dog.

Carl Mowatt, 57, who runs of the Lakeside Inn off Leam Lane in Jarrow, completed the 100-mile loop of the North East in around 23 hours.

Avid runner Carl set himself the challenge of running a century in one day with the aim raising £5,000 for the Guide Dog Newcastle Mobility unit, in order to fund a guide dog for someone in need.

The run started in the early hours of the morning in South Shields and saw Carl heading across the North East along the Tyne & Wear Heritage Way, before finishing back in South Shields.

Carl said: “The run was amazing. We achieved everything we wanted to do and smashed our target. The support I’ve received has been so overwhelming.

“I was absolutely shattered the next day but I was back in a pair of running shoes a few days later getting ready for an event in the Cheviots in (the winter).”

Carl takes on a different running challenge each year to raise funds to help causes close to his heart, a pursuit which has taken him to the Swiss Alps, seen him run the length of Hadrian’s Wall in one go, and complete the brutal Montane Cheviot Goat ultramarathon in Northumberland.

This year, with events cancelled, he put together his own challenge.

The 100-mile route took him through South Tyneside, Newcastle, Northumberland, Gateshead, County Durham and Sunderland over all manner of terrain, from windswept coastal stretches to muddy woodland, across fields and up grueling hills.

He was supported on the way by members of various running clubs he is involved with, including Shields Harriers, Jarrow and Hebburn Athletic, and Newcastle Vegan Runners.

Before the run, Carl received encouragement from North East legends including Peter Reid, Lee Clark and Steve Cram.

Carl has now donated the money to the Guide Dogs Newcastle Mobility Unit, who were delighted with his donation, and Carl is now waiting for a date to meet the puppy, which will be named Andy after his late friend Andy Briggs, who was blind.

Carl’s fundraising currently stands at almost £6500 and donations are still being welcomed at this link.

Support your Gazette and become a subscriber today. Enjoy unlimited access to local news, the latest football stories and new puzzles every day. With a digital subscription, you can see fewer ads, enjoy faster load times, and get access to exclusive newsletters and content. Click here to subscribe.