Challenges include Northern Lights trek, South Coast Ultra and Amsterdam marathon.
Every year Martlets helps thousands of terminally ill people to make the most of the precious time they have left. Now the Sussex hospice charity is asking supporters to do something amazing to support them.
With a new year ahead, Martlets is sharing a host of exciting challenges people can take on to raise vital funds for the charity. These range from once-in-a-lifetime treks across Iceland and the Sahara desert to closer to home adventures such as the South Coast Ultra Challenge and Thorpe Park 5 or 10k runs.
Whether it’s a family trip in memory of a loved one, a special weekend away with friends or to achieve a personal fitness goal, choosing to take part in an event and raise funds for a valued local charity is bound to make 2024 a year to remember.
The calendar of events kicks off next month (Feb) when supporters who have registered for a place can run the Brighton, Paris or Barcelona marathons on behalf of Martlets.
Highlights for 2024 include:
• Brighton Half Marathon (Feb 25); Barcelona Marathon (March 10); Brighton Marathon (April 7); Paris Marathon (April 10). Make it a weekend to remember by taking part in a fundraising fun in some of Europe’s greatest cities.
• The Guildford Inflatable 2.5K Obstacle Course (May 11). A fun event where participants can choose to bounce from 2.5K, 5K, 10K or 15K through the world's biggest inflatable obstacle course.
• Run Thorpe Park (September 8). Run 5K or 10K around the Surrey theme park’s rides and rollercoasters. Following the race, runners can make use of the rides as part of their race entry.
• The South Coast Ultra Challenge (September 7 & 8). Starting in Eastbourne, East Sussex, this popular run takes in Beachy Head, the magnificent Seven Sisters, the South Downs Way, and Devil’s Dyke before finishing in historic Arundel. Run 25K, 50K or the full 100K
• The Amsterdam Half / Full Marathon (Oct 20). Join over 47,000 runners from over 140 countries to run a scenic course along the Amstel River and through the Rijksmuseum and Vondelpark in one of Europe’s most celebrated cities.
Headline event, the Northern Light Trek, takes place from November 1 - 5. Hosted by the Different Travel Company, join #TeamMartlets on a magical journey through the otherworldly natural landscapes of Iceland. Spend three days trekking across fields of geothermal activity with bubbling mud pools and hot springs, the peaks of the Mount Hengill heritage site and the fault lines between Europe and America. With luck, walkers might even catch a glimpse of the incredible aurora borealis.
Hayley Kenward, senior fundraising executive at Martlets, said every penny supporters raised through these events would help keep Martlets caring. The charity’s expert teams support around 3,000 people a year, including patients and their loved ones, to live to the fullest of their abilities in the time they have left.
“Every year we’re blown away by the efforts of our supporters who take on treks and runs, sometimes for the first time, to give back to a charity that’s close to their hearts,” says Hayley. “The money they raise makes an enormous difference to us, whether it’s £50 or £5,000, because it allows us to keep caring for people facing the toughest of times.”
To find out more about how to get involved in a fundraising event on behalf of Martlets, visit: