JOURNALIST Chris Rundle will be leaving his notebook at home when he sets out on a challenge that is sure to test his stamina.
Chris, former farming editor with the Western Daily Press who started his newspaper career with the Free Press, is striding out on a 100-mile sponsored walk as part of a fundraising campaign to buy a lifeboat in memory of his son.
Oxford student Toby Rundle, the only son of Chris and his wife Debbie - also a former Free Press journalist - died in October 2009, aged just 21.
And his family have set themselves the target of raising £165,000 to buy an Atlantic 85 lifeboat to be named after him.
The campaign has already raised a staggering £130,000 and Chris hopes his marathon efforts will net at least another £2,500.
He plans to walk from the station across country to the Royal National Lifeboat Institution headquarters in Poole, where he hopes to arrive over the Easter weekend.
Toby's family have already held a number of fundraising events but Chris said he felt it was time to do something practical himself.
"A sponsored walk seemed the obvious solution," he said.
"I wish I had time to walk the entire 630 miles of the South West coast path from Minehead to Poole but I haven't, so I'm going to have to be content with taking a short cut across.
"If I can get 250 people to sponsor me for £10 a time I shall be very happy indeed - and it will be another decent amount notched up for the fund."
The boat is unlikely to be built for at least a year but the family is hoping to have met the appeal target by the end of 2011.
Anyone wanting to sponsor Chris can send a donation to 18 Priest Street, Williton, TA4 4NJ. Cheques should be made out to he RNLI.