FIVE West Somerset friends who admit they had never previously done any serious long-distance running, have so far raised more than £5,300 toward a £5,500 target for a local charity by completing the 51 miles of the Coleridge Way from Nether Stowey to Lynmouth in a non-stop 15 hours.

When firefighter Kev Liddle decided to mark his 50th birthday with an epic run for local charity PROMISEworks, which offers mentoring services to vulnerable and disadvantaged children, four friends decided to do the gruelling trek with him.

Tom Potter, Brandon Walsh, Connor Jeromson, and Ollie Claydon lined up with Kev for a 3 am start and all five completed the run at 5.30 pm, cheered on by friends and family who gathered on the finishing line.

Kev said: “It seemed a good thing to do to celebrate my birthday.

The Coleridge Way running friends en-route.
The Coleridge Way running friends en-route. (Keith Liddle)

“None of us had done anything like it before, but we have been training hard and even made lifestyle changes.

“We had walked the Coleridge Way before and I remember saying I would like to run along it one day, so that is what we did.

“I thoroughly enjoyed the experience and everything went well until we reached the 40-mile point and we were struggling a bit.

“But after only a couple more miles we were okay again.”

Kev’s wife Sarah said he had taken the challenge very seriously.

She said: “He gave up drinking and lost three stone, and gradually built up the training to doing the equivalent of a half-marathon.

“The team would meet up on Sundays and probably run about 15 miles, and then train separately during the week.”

PROMISEworks general manager Ali Hart said: “We are blown away by the amount Kev and his friends have raised.

The five runners (left to right) Ollie Claydon, Brandon Walsh, Kev Liddle, Tom Potter, and Connor Jeromson stop for refreshments in Luxborough.
The five runners (left to right) Ollie Claydon, Brandon Walsh, Kev Liddle, Tom Potter, and Connor Jeromson stop for refreshments in Luxborough. (Keith Liddle)

“That is going to help significantly to support our mentoring right across Somerset.

“We do love it when people come forward with challenges they would like to undertake to support the work we do in giving young people the support they need.

“We would love to hear from anybody who has a scheme which could help with money-raising.”

The charity has supported more than 500 mentoring relationships across Somerset, providing youngsters with a mentor for at least two years.

The mentors help them grow and develop resilience, confidence, and opportunities for personal development.

Under the scheme, each young person is matched with a trained, volunteer mentor, giving time to establish a firm relationship which often continues after the original two years.

The service is aimed at young people aged from five to 25 years experiencing difficulties at home or with education or training.

The Coleridge Way five with the Two Moors Way statue at their finishing point in Lynmouth.
The Coleridge Way five with the Two Moors Way statue at their finishing point in Lynmouth. (Contributed)

It receives referrals from a wide range of sources, including social workers, the police, health professionals, teachers, parents, and in some cases the young people themselves.

This year, the organisation has received 311 referrals, trained 39 new mentors, and completed 77 matches.

Each relationship costs about £2,400 to maintain.

Donations for Kev’s run can still be sent via his GoFundMe page, while more information about the charity is available on its website.