Hastings athletes get round world - inspired by Michael Jackson

The challenge has been named #Hyrunstheworld and the distance target is 24,910 miles, the idea being that all runners tally up their miles in a bid to raise £10,000 for St Michael’s Hospice. They've not completed the mileage - but the fundraising target was passed two days ago (Thursday).

In the style of Phileas Fogg, the club initially aimed to complete the huge running task in 80 days, but they have had so much participation from members that they look likely to complete the mission in half the time.

They have now raised £10k for the hospice and in an attempt to push the figure higher, four members have produced and recorded a song.

Kit and Jessica Willard, Riz Mazlen and Jemma May O’Gorman have rewritten Michael Jackson’s Heal The World and renamed it as Run The World.

The girls had great fun making the record while Darren Ribs Rogers uploaded images of the runners pounding the streets.

HY Runners get around the world - in pictures.

The club has been overwhelmed with the support they’ve had from the public and have thanked sponsors Kileys Carpets, Hastings Direct, The Pier, PCM Estate agents and Dr Hannah Hughes.

The challenge should be completed any day now and competition prize winner Laura Dearsley will run the last mile to complete the challenge along with St Michael’s Hospice chief fundraiser Rebecca Futrall.

Rebecca has told how fundraising has been hit over the past year by Covid and the lockdown meaning major fundraising events such as the Hastings Half Marathon have been cancelled.

Rebecca said everyone involved at the hospice was overwhelmed at the efforts shown by HY Runners and said the money raised would go a long way to helping.

Club head coach Terry Skelton said: “Making the record has been a great bit of fun for the girls and their voices and timings are fantastic – we knew they were good but never dreamed the record could have come out so well.”

HY have been boosted by the participation of gold medal-winning Paralympian David Weir while Hastings MP Sally-Ann Hart joined the challenge by donning the famous red jersey and contributing some good miles.

Stewart Ide from the club said: “It has been great to have Sally on board. She was a great sport.”

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