Kinloss man sets off on a 5000-mile epic coastal run

Simon
Simon Clark – set off on an epic 5000-mile coastal run on Sunday

A KINLOSS MAN is taking on the biggest challenge of his life in a bid to help young people around the world who face a life of abandonment and often live with the consequences of HIV/Aids.

56-year-old Simon Clark set off on a 5000-mile run around the coast of the UK from Findhorn on Sunday, a journey that he expects will take him a year to complete.

During that time he will run each day – and continue keeping up with his work as an architect through his trusty laptop while camping out or taking up space on people’s floors!

Simon is undertaking the journey to mark the 20th anniversary of the Ecologia Youth Trust, for whom he hopes to raise £10,000 to support their work with disadvantaged children and young people in Russia, Kenya, Uganda and Myanmar.

“My own need to do something bigger than I know is a powerful driving force – the desire to find out how I deal with life when I am exhausted and want to do no more,” Simon explained of his quest, adding: “What then kicks in what is left?

“If we can’t give all the children of the world the best start possible, we have to wonder what we’re doing here. It’s so difficult for children in materially poor countries to get to grips with education and achieve worthwhile change whilst being under nourished and shelterless.

“Giving – no doubt at times, grinding out – effort to benefit youngsters who have less fortuitous circumstances than mine seems the least I can do, and the thought of carrying and needing very little, while asking others to give a lot to improve the lives of children seems the best of affairs.”

Simon’s “Just a Little Run around Britain” has got off to a fine start with over 10% of his target already pledged for a journey that he insists will never be boring: “One of the joys of this is that it is the coast – so the landscape is going to be changing all the time.”

Simon’s journey can be tracked throughout his epic journey via the Ecologia Youth Trust website while anyone wishing to support his efforts can do so via his Virgin Money Giving page.