Westbury man to run 246 miles for firefighters’ charity

A man from Westbury is preparing to run 246.1 miles over 10 days in memory of his father while raising money for the charity that supported him before his death.

Mark Bosher will begin his challenge at the Fire Service College in Moreton-in-Marsh, where his father started his firefighting career. He will finish at the site of the former Grindon Fire Station in Sunderland, where he last served. After completing the 10-day run in September, he will take on the Great North Run.

Mark is raising money for the Fire Fighters Charity, which provides lifelong care and support for firefighters across the UK. The charity supported his father, who served as a firefighter for 26 years, during his illness before he died two years ago.

“My father was a great man and firefighter, and following a stroke in 2011, the Fire Fighters Charity supported him and my family during his recovery,” said Mark. “The charity funds a number of rehabilitation centres around the country and to give something back to them means so much to me.

“I was never a firefighter myself, I was in the army, but I do now have a job with the Defence Fire and Rescue Service, and I have an office at the Fire Service College where my father started his career, and that is very comforting.”

Mark has been training for almost eight months. As part of his preparation, he completed two marathons in July and 10 consecutive half marathons in June.

This is not Mark’s first charity challenge. In 2018, he and a group of friends from Westbury walked 320 miles from Bournemouth to Sunderland for the Bradley Lowery Foundation, raising more than £13,000.

He aims to run an average of 24.6 miles a day between 3rd and 12th September before taking on the Great North Run between Newcastle upon Tyne and South Shields on Sunday 13th September.

To donate to Mark’s fundraiser, visit https://www.gofundme.com/f/stride-for-the-brave.