Skipton man finishes 14th in 100-mile mighty challenge

Tom Clarke, from just outside Skipton, competed in the Rat Race, a mighty ultra challenge which sees participants navigate their way from Bamburgh Castle in North East England, all the way to Edinburgh Castle, taking on 100 miles of uphill strain all the way. He finished in 14th position out of a field of almost 600 that took part, finishing in 22 hours and 17 minutes.

Tom decided to take on this challenge for the UK’s first children and young people’s bereavement charity, Winston’s Wish. He explains: “I first heard of Winston's Wish following the sudden death of my brother-in-law in 2023.

“The events of the night were tragic and will live long in the memory. My sister and her two young beautiful children have been incredible in dealing with the loss and they have been completely inspirational ever since.

“Initially, my sister reached out to Winston's Wish to get some advice about how to break the news to her children, and this advice was also then used by me and my wife in explaining to our children that their uncle was no longer with us.

“My coping mechanism for when life throws curveballs is to exercise. Running, football and mountain biking clears my mind and helps solve problems or put things into perspective.

“After the events of 2023 I signed up to several ultra marathons to distract myself and give myself, and eventually completed ‘The Wall’ in 2024, a 70-mile run following Hadrian's Wall which finished at the Millennium Bridge in Gateshead. I lived and worked in the Northeast for many years, so this route passed a lot of sentimental places.

“The euphoria from completing that race was overwhelming, and addictive. Within a week or so of completing that race I wanted to try my hand at a 100 mile race to see if I could do it. The company that runs this event, Rat Race, also runs ‘The Wall’ so I knew that the event would be brilliantly organised.

“Preparations for this have been limited. I have not specifically trained for this, instead I have kept basic fitness up and tried to remain injury free. I didn't really set a target for fundraising but I am delighted to have got above the £3,000 mark. Thank you to every single supporter, it means a lot to me and my family.

“For anyone thinking of taking on their first challenge for charity, then I would definitely recommend doing it. For me, I love running and talking in the countryside, so doing this whilst raising money for charity provides added motivation as I chisel away at the inevitable pain cave.”

Tom explains why he wanted to fundraise for Winston’s Wish, he says, “It's important for me to raise awareness of the charities that pick up the pieces and provide support when things have happened. I believe that the awareness of mental health issues has increased and there is a wide range of fundraising to support the action to prevent situations similar to the case of my brother-in-law, but there is always a need for the support to be there for families after a tragedy occurs.

“Crossing that finish line in front of my family was overwhelming. It’s incredible where your mind takes you in an event like that and I really had to dig deep. It was a pleasure to get to know some of the other racers and find out their “why” - I think the camaraderie is what keeps me heading back for more.”

Winston’s Wish is the UK’s first children and young people’s bereavement charity and support grieving young people, up to the age of 25, when somebody special to them dies. Last year alone, the charity supported and directly impacted the lives of more than 82,000 grieving young people.

To find out more and support Tom Clarke’s Rat Race Ultra Challenge, then please visit his dedicated Just Giving page.

Winston’s Wish is keen to reassure bereaved young people and their families that they are welcome to chat online, email or call for free to speak to a bereavement support worker by calling 08088 020 021, emailing [email protected] or using the live chat at winstonswish.org.