London firefighter Steve Moore is set to run over 300 miles across the capital, visiting each of the city’s 102 fire stations, as he raises money for charity.
An experienced ultra-marathon and endurance runner, Steve will start his run at London Fire Brigade Headquarters in Southwark on 21 May, before navigating a complex route across the city. Working to a detailed plan, Steve expects to spend around 12-14 hours running each day to reach his daily target of 60 miles. This will allow him to cross his finish line at Monument, which marks the origin point of the Great Fire of London, by the weekend where he will be greeted by his colleagues, friends and family.
Speaking about what first inspired him to plan this run, Steve said: "I've always enjoyed running and challenging myself with long distance endurance runs. I was looking at the map of London in Edmonton Fire Station, and the idea started to grow. I wondered if anyone had tried to run to every fire station before, and then decided I’d be the one to give it a go.”
Steve has decided to take the challenge as an opportunity to raise money for two organisations that mean a great deal to him, The Fire Fighters Charity and Rennie Grove Peace Hospice Care.
Help Steve smash his fundraising target as he raises money for The Fire Fighters Charity and Rennie Grove Peace Hospice Care
Steve said: “The Fire Fighters Charity have always supported me and my colleagues when we needed help, so it is nice to give something back. They play a vital role supporting the UK fire and rescue service. I also wanted to run for Rennie Grove Peace Hospice Care, where my wife is a palliative care nurse. I know how much difference they make to families in need, so I’m keen to support them as well.
Steve will also use the run to raise awareness about Walk and Talk 999, a peer support network for emergency service workers to talk about their mental health during outdoor walks.
Throughout his challenge, Steve will be accompanied by a dedicated support team made up of friends and family, and staff from across the Brigade will join him for short sections of the run.
Assistant Commissioner Spencer Sutcliff said: “Running to every fire station in London is an incredible challenge for Steve to undertake, and as he completes it, the entire Brigade will be showing our support at every station. It’s even more inspiring that he's attempting this run in support of two incredible charities"
Clare Delaney, from The Fire Fighters Charity said: “I want to wholeheartedly thank Steve for organising such a fantastic challenge. Our fire services community really is a family, and that’s being shown in the support for Steve from his London Fire Brigade colleagues."
Tracey Hancock, Director of Fundraising at Rennie Grove Peace, said: “Steve’s fundraising challenge is an inspiring feat and I’d like to thank him for using it to support our work. We rely on the generosity of our local community to fund the majority of our patient services so every penny raised will make a big difference to the patients and families we work with.”