Sara Cox begins five-day BBC Children in Need marathon challenge

Sara Cox Begins Five-Day BBC Children in Need Marathon Challenge

Radio 2's Sara Cox started her Great Northern Marathon Challenge from Kielder Forest this morning. She aims to carry a specially made Pudsey Bear backpack all the way to Pudsey in Leeds by 14 November.

The 135-mile journey will take her on foot across four counties: Northumberland, Durham, North Yorkshire, and West Yorkshire. This trek is the longest in duration among any Radio 2 challenges.

Sara will rely solely on her own strength, walking or jogging the entire route without any vehicle support. She described her motivation as “a generous helping of great northern grit.”

Community Support at the Start

Locals gathered at Kielder Forest Park to cheer Sara on. Stuart Todd from Morpeth Pipe Band performed as she set off, while Andrea Foote from Morpeth Riding for the Disabled Association sounded the official horn to mark the challenge's start.

“I am going to be running when I can and then striding along. I may be occasionally stumbling, limping and weeping, but I’ll get my sorry self to Pudsey in Leeds on Friday.” – Sara Cox on BBC Breakfast

The lightweight 270-gram Pudsey backpack was specially equipped with a rain mac to protect against northern weather conditions.

Feelings at Departure

Later on the Radio 2 Breakfast Show with Scott Mills, Sara shared her emotions before setting off: “I feel more relaxed than I have been for weeks. People have turned up with banners and their dogs – it’s absolutely gorgeous actually.”

The challenge highlights Sara’s endurance, community spirit, and dedication to supporting BBC Children in Need.

Author's summary: Sara Cox embarked on a 135-mile, five-day walk supporting BBC Children in Need, showing resilience and receiving heartfelt local support throughout her journey.

OnTheRadio — 2025-11-10