Centurion Challenge 2014

  • 0
Between the 4th and 6th of July, for the second year, I spent the weekend helping with Beechen Cliff's Centurion Challenge where I was part of the cycle support team, working with Mr Brewer. Over the course of the event, I managed almost 200 miles from going up and down the group of walkers.

Below is the full write up from the event from the school newsletter:

The Beechen Cliff School Centurion Challenge 2014 has take place. 61 boys in years aged 12 to 17 took this year’s challenge and making history was one young woman,  Caitlin Beddoe in the lower sixth. 

The start at 4 o’clock on the Friday was in slowly greying sky’s and there was a fine drizzle on the way to the Devizes Camp Site, but with 3 hours the numbers had reduced by 2. Most arrived at 9 o’clock, feasted on the awaiting BBQ before retiring fort the night. Only to be woken at 5 o’clock for the start one hour later, just as the nights torrential rain had ceased. 

The magnificent 60 now made their way to St Lawrence Church, Hungerford, the 50 miles half way point and were welcomed by the Reverend Andrew Sawyer. Resting only for 15 minutes, the challengers feasted on the buffet of rolls, cake, fruit and energy bars before returning along the same canal tow path. 10 challengers were to fall here and on the long 27 miles journey back to the Devizes encampment. 

On the final morning 49 challengers set off to return to the school by 4 o’clock to qualify as Centurions. The first 3 ; Matthew Wedding,  Joseph Grosvenor and Ethan Foster,  covered the final 23 miles in just over 4 and a half hours and will have their names engraved into the Centurion Challenge Hall of Fame. The others followed in the hot sun and were greeted by friends and family to be hailed as Centurions. 

The charity we adopted t for this year’s challenge and our Three Peaks Challenge was Ethiopiad. Their aims are simple. They provide breakfast and schooling for the hundreds of children living on the streets of Addis Ababa - in partnership with Hope Enterprises.  A nourishing breakfast provides the incentive for these children to attend informal classes in basic literacy and numeracy. By removing the constant pressure to find money for food, the children are given time to learn and gain the skills necessary for a better start in life. The 2014 Centurions agreed that this was a noble cause and worth the pain to raise sponsorship for.

Alex Wringer in one the last groups to arrive before the deadline said, “it was the toughest thing I have done! Many friends say they will do it, but it they never do. The constant pain on the way back from Hungerford is a real killer. John ( Elliot) and I walked it all together signing and joke all the way. I am not doing it again”

Richard Stewart
Centurion Organiser