A DEDICATED marathon runner from West Huntspill is preparing to take on the biggest challenge of his life to raise money for charity.


Burnham-on-Sea runner Kevin Clements, 49, will be running from John O’Groats in Scotland to Land’s End in Cornwall in September in aid of Weston Hospicecare. 


He will be taking on an astonishing six marathons a week – on the seventh day he plans to take it easy by running an ‘easy’ 10 miles – to cover the 900-plus mile route he has chosen between the two famous checkpoints. 


In total, he will be running the marathon distance of 26 miles and 385 yards a mind boggling 35 times.


Kevin is a veteran of seven marathons, tackling London – twice – and Edinburgh, Loch Ness and Windermere, among others. 


His mega-marathon is due to get under way on September 8 and he will be tackling it alongside close friend Mark Simms, also from Burnham. 
Mark, aged 52, is raising money for the RNLI but has never run a marathon before.


A member of Burnham-on-Sea Harriers running club, Kevin is dedicating his effort to three friends who have been cared for by Weston Hospicecare, which is based at Jackson-Barstow House in Thornbury Road, Uphill.

He has already run events in memory of two of them but the recent death of fellow Burnham Harrier Sheila Baker has provided further inspiration.

He said: “I decided that I wanted to do this challenge back in 2009, but I quickly realised that I was out of my depth and I needed help. 


“That’s when I joined the Harriers and met Sheila. She was the club’s mother figure. If you needed your spirits lifting, a shoulder to cry on or a cuddle, Sheila would be there. She was just an amazing person.”


Kevin, who is married to wife Lorraine, will be celebrating his 50th birthday during the challenge – if all goes to plan he aims to be back in Somerset to celebrate the big day, October 8, before continuing his trek towards Cornwall.


“It’s a huge challenge that lies ahead of us,” he admits. “But once I set my mind to do something, that’s it. It will take us about 10 marathons before our bodies become properly adjusted, so the first seven to 10 days are going to be really hard, mentally and physically. Once we have got past that barrier things should get a bit easier.”


“I love running so much, I just lose myself when I’m out on the road. I can easily clock up 15 to 20 miles without even thinking about it. Mark has never run a marathon before and, unsurprisingly, he’s a bit slower than me, so he will help keep me in check, which is important when you take on something like this.”


The two friends are appealing for a company to come forward to offer them the use of a hire van for the duration of their challenge. Kevin is a self-employed carpet and flooring fitter and has his own transport, but a dedicated support vehicle would be invaluable.


He explained: “In theory I could use my van but if it broke down we would be absolutely stuck. If a hire vehicle got into trouble, hopefully we would be able to swap it for another one without causing us too much delay. I really hope someone can help as I would hate a mechanical breakdown to cause us problems.”


In preparation, the duo aim to be running at least 70 miles a week by the middle of June. As a gentle warm-up, Kevin will be taking part in the Weston Hospicecare Colour Run on April 24.


If you would like To sponsor Kevin in his marathon effort, see his fundraising page https://www.justgiving.com/Kevin-Clements2.