Salisbury Endurance Runner to Take On Longest Challenge in Support of Children's Hospice

A Salisbury sports therapist, who has already raised more than £15,000 for Julia's House Children's Hospice, is preparing to push his running total beyond 1,000 miles as he takes on his most ambitious challenge yet.

Next month, endurance runner Alex Bance plans to run 380 miles in under six days as he tackles England's longest and oldest trail, the Greater RidgeWay National Trail.

Completing the route in reverse, Alex will set off from Hunstanton, Norfolk, on 2 November before aiming to arrive in Lyme Regis, Dorset, by lunchtime on 7 November. As the trail passes through Devizes, Alex will take a short detour mid-route to visit the Julia’s House children’s hospice building in Wiltshire.

He hopes his efforts will help raise a further £5,000 for the charity.

If successful, Alex will pass two milestones, raising more than £20,000 and completing more than 1,000 fundraising miles (1,129 miles total) for Julia's House since 2019.

Over the past seven years, father-of-two Alex has completed a series of increasingly demanding endurance events, covering hundreds of miles and raising vital funds to help support children with life-shortening conditions and their families across Wiltshire and Dorset.

Alex said, “When I started fundraising for Julia's House seven years ago, I never imagined I would one day be approaching 1,000 miles. My trainers have had a lot of repairs in that time, and at this point I think they’re more glue and tape than trainer!

He added, “Every year I look for a challenge that pushes me further because I know the difference the charity makes to local families. It seems my favourite fundraising challenges are always the ones that have a risk of catastrophic failure.”

The 46-year-old's fundraising journey began with the 62-mile London to Brighton Run in 2019. When the pandemic disrupted Endure 24 the following year, Alex refused to let it stop him and completed 100 miles in 24 hours with no support.

In 2023, Alex broke the Guinness World Record for the longest blindfolded run, covering 72 miles around a track over 24 hours.

The following year, Alex completed ‘Julia's Journey’, a 263-mile continuous run over three days, linking Great Ormond Street Hospital, where the hospice's inspiration, Julia Perks, worked as a paediatric nurse, with the Julia's House hospice buildings in Wiltshire and Devizes.

And last year, his ‘Path of the Past’ challenge saw him run 300 miles from the Preseli Hills in West Wales to Stonehenge.

Speaking about the Greater Ridgeway challenge, Alex said, “This is the biggest distance I’ve ever done. It’s a long way and very remote, so it will be gruelling. With it being November, the nights will be longer, and I’ll have to carry a lot of gear in case the weather turns. I quite like the peace of night runs, but it slows you down because you can’t see much beyond the glare of your head torch – especially if it’s misty or raining.

“My plan, like previous challenges, is just to keep going and take short naps on the side of the trail. I’ll have three kind friends to bring me out food and water at checkpoints each day and a couple of running pals to do a few miles with me and keep my morale up along the way.”

He said, “It does get tough – it's painful and mentally you can feel pretty down – but I know that my pain will end in a few days and it’s a choice that I’ve made. The families that Julia’s House care for don’t have a choice about the challenges they’re facing. And if I can help them, even in a small way, it’s all worth it, and I’ll keep supporting Julia’s House for as long as I can.”

As one of the lowest government-funded children's hospices in England, Julia's House relies on donations to fund around 92 per cent of its life-changing care. The charity provides specialist care and support to families of children with life-shortening conditions across Wiltshire and Dorset, both in families’ homes and at its hospices in Devizes and Corfe Mullen.

Alex's fundraising efforts to date could fund three days of compassionate end-of-life care from the Julia's House team, helping families spend precious time together when they need it most.

“When I started out, I only really thought I’d be able to raise a couple of hundred pounds for Julia’s House, so it’s incredible to think I might reach £20,000 with this challenge,” said Alex. “It’s all down to the kindness and generosity of people who want to help that I’ve been able to raise so much.”

Nicky Clack, Julia’s House Fundraising Assistant, said, “Alex's commitment is nothing short of extraordinary. Year after year he continues to dream bigger, push harder and inspire those around him, all to help the local children and families that we care for. We are incredibly grateful for everything he has achieved already and will be cheering him on for his biggest challenge yet. Thank you, Alex!”

Supporters can donate via Alex's JustGiving page and follow his progress via a live tracker throughout the challenge. https://www.justgiving.com/page/alex-bance-12