The team have now been back a month and a lot of work has been going into finalising the fundraising total for The Gumpathon. The current fund stands at approximately £70,000 or $111,000 but donations are still coming in. Obviously the present total does fall well short of our ultimate target but it will still mean a sizeable donation to each of our charities.
Many, many thanks to everyone who has supported and donated in what are difficult financial times. You are helping us raise much needed money and awareness. We are still accepting donations so please if you can donate online or contact us through the Get Involved tab on the website.
Thank you.
So we had an incredible finish at Santa Monica Pier last Thursday. Thank you to everyone who helped with the finish event. Special thanks to the Jim Harris and his team at Santa Monica Pier, Bubba Gump and Dan Rice and everyone who turned out to support us.
We have a final film which is on Youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TMYBeeXNrgk made by Shoot the Company. Please share this with your friends and colleagues as we still need donations and hopefully this film will help to inspire people to donate.
We will be back in the UK on Tuesday-we can’t wait to be reunited with our family and friends.
So as two months and 3,530 miles of running are about to culminate on Santa Monica Pier, we wanted to take the time to say a few thank you’s for recent support. The most amazing thing about our journey has been the kindness and support shown from so many different people and for this we are truly grateful. We can’t begin to name everyone who has helped us along the way but you know who you are.
We would like to thank Jim and Dan at Santa Monica Pier who have dedicated part of the Route 66 celebrations to our arrival. We can’t wait to see you!
Thank you again to Shoot the Company and Stephen www.shootthecompany.com for another amazing film. http://www.youtube.com/user/gumpathon
A big thank you to Clinic who have helped us with our design work www.clinic.co.uk
A HUGE thank you to the Sheraton Delfina in Santa Monica who have helped us with our accomodation. It will make a change to the “comfort” of the RV’s!!
We are looking forward to meeting the team from The British Consulate in LA - they have been helping out with the finish.
These are just a few of the people we need to thank…more to follow.
Stay tuned for the finish! We will be arriving at Santa Monica Pier from around 1030 PST so if you are in the area…come and run with us. And lastly, if you have been waiting to see if we finish before you donate, now is your time to do it! Help us make our million.
Hi there to everyone Crazy reporting for duty.
I’ve been given the privilege of blogging for our last few days which quite simply have been the best days we have had on our journey so far. The Grand Canyon is without doubt the most amazing thing I have ever seen, there aren’t really any words that could describe its sheer magnitude, It surrounds you from every angle and engulfs you with its beauty. To the people of Tuyasan who gave us the Helicopter ride over the Canyon we can’t thank you enough, everyone has agreed it has been the highlight of their trip so far, also special thanks to Shawn Shields for the range day and the chance to experience and fire some exotic foreign weapons. In terms of running our darkest days are behind us, the 80+ mile days are over and only 60 to 70 mile days remain which is great news for me and the other runners. To be quite honest with you we are all injured in some way or another running at altitude hasn’t been the most pleasant and the running days are merging into one, 5 miles feels like 10, 10 miles feel like 20 and so on. However spirit, humour and determination remain high, as I said in a previous blog the pain of running 3530 miles is a blessing and privilege compared to the everyday lives of the people we are trying to help, I never forget that.
Special thanks and praise to Marine Jamie Jobson for completing 60 miles on the hand bike, a discipline prior to this event he had no training on, good effort Royal!. All that remains to be said is ‘Watch this Space’ Las Vegas is on the horizon and quite frankly I can’t wait, I can almost see those bright lights shining and hear Tom Jones calling. Spread the word and keep on GUMPING!!!!!!!!!
All the best Cpl Fenner aka ‘Crazy’
Ok so day 44 over! Its been a tough slog for everybody since my last blog! We are currently in a town called Navajo where the original Navajo indian “windtalkers” from the second world war all came from, we have met a few of there decendants and heard some amazing stories from them and received some fantastic hospitality from the native indians and americans in this area! We are at 7000 foot above sea level so its getting extremely cold at night (I saw a polar bear with a north face jacket on last night!) The altitude is also affecting our respiratory system when we are running which is quite cheeky and noticeable by everybody! The team pulled together like we do in the military and covered me for a few days as I managed to injure my left calf running so I had a few days off but got the all clear from the Doc yesterday so I’m back in the game! the support crew have been doing a fantastic job with Paul “eyebrows it” Shearsby managing to smash out 5 and 6 milers everyday with the runners and still drive the front support car, provide medical cover and make a dappa sandwich too! top lad! Caroline and Claire have been getting stuck in with the media for the Grand Canyon which is our next big media event so fingers crossed for that to turn out as well as the others. Our American cousin Master Gunns Charles “chunkalicious-mexabrit-god damm” Padilla has been pounding the pavement pretty hard with hardly a rest day off at all! Not bad for a crusty dawg! Mark “Rammers” Ormrod has also been smashing up the mileage managing to crack an amazing 5 miler a few days ago on his blades which is unbelievable! Lloyd “Crazy” Fenner has now fully recovered from his fantastic 3:30 marathon but his feet still stink! Damian ”Toddmeister” Todd has clocked up over 1000 miles on Achilles and is feeling so close to it that he’s debating marrying the bike in Las Vegas! Now to everybody back home we really need your help! I know we’re smiling in all of the pictures but trust me we are crying on the inside! Everyone of us has picked up at least one injury, our bones ache in the first thing in morning and last thing at night, we have blisters, shin splints, clicking ankles and knees, bruised heels, colds… the list could go on but i’ll round it up be saying were all hurting, but all of this will be in vain if we don’t raise as much money as we can for our chosen service charities! Nearly everybody knows somebody who is, or has served in the armed forces at one time in their lives, these people fight for our freedom so we can all sleep safe in bed at night they never ask for anything in return even though some of them have come home severely injured from war, missing limbs, loss of their sight, loss of their hearing, receiving brain injuries and some service personal haven’t made it home at all! We all have personal feelings on situations but we are not here to pass judgement or start debates. We are here to return hope to so many lives, to help families and friends who have found themselves in the worst possible circumstances. We are here to make a change and that is where we need you. We are striving to reach our target and every penny helps so please text ‘GUMP’ to 70800 to donate £5 or 50555 to donate $10, or you can visit our website www.thegumpathon.com. Thanks again to everybody back home who has and continues to support us. Lets raise a million!
Jobbo out.
Hi Everybody!! well we have just finished another day and we are in Tuba city in Arizona!! The team is doing ok, even though they keep saying “I’m fine” and “yeah good” really what they mean is “ouch my back” and “Damn those blisters”. The support crew are now running at nearly full strength as Kester is nearly at full operating strength.
Kester has now picked up some more nicknames they are as follows: Kester Sicknote Subway Kessymodo Right Angle Jackson. Since the arrival of the Colonel Kester has developed a rebellion and is forming the militant wing of the Gumpathon as we speak…
The support crew is battling on as always with the orders being barked from above we rebel and do the opposite as that’s what men do…??? However we have managed to get rid of Claire for a while as she goes in search of our Royal Marines PTI RI in Albuquerque! BLISS hahahaha.
Toddy is still flexing his biceps, CPL Lloyd Fenner is still cracking on practicing the Team America Secret Signal as he runs, MD is still honking, Chunks is still 10 minute mileing and not a niggle wrong with him (slow and steady wins the race). Mark is setting higher and higher standards every time he runs and Jamie Jobson RM is being Jamie…I seem to have been acquiring more duties along the route too, I make sandwiches, cut hair, do some running, do some driving, cover for Kester as he goes off on a jolly, boost morale, wind people up and just be me (people who know me will at this point be sympathising with the team). Knock knock jokes go down well…
Today we went through the middle of nowhere and met some really interesting sheep and saw some really cool fields…Mark resumed his position in the car of a slight 180 degrees angle, mouth slightly open and having a stare out with the back of his eyelids, I had to disturb him as we went past a really big Tumbleweed (first one I have ever seen)…lets just say he wasn’t as energetic as I was.
Today saw me jump out of normal routine and have an attempt at a personal challenge set by Damian and Chunks to honour The Royal Marines Birthday. My challenge was to run a half marathon, those of you who know me know that I am not a runner, however I will always have a go… So I started and after about a long 0.3 of a mile I had had enough…we had a MASSIVE headwind that was proving to push us back every time we lifted our feet, however I cracked on and listened to some music on my ipod (absolute godsend!!).
After around the 4 mile mark the dreaded shin splints started again, I had the old battleaxe chunks behind me not letting me stop and Mark listening to hip hop music whilst driving the Range Rover. We approached the 10 mile mark and I really wanted to give in, just then I looked up at a 3 mile stretch of straight road with a big hill at the end, such a warming sight to see!! As we approached the middle of the hill Mark shouted out “that’s a half marathon mileage baby” and I can only explain that it was the best thing he had said all day…then he said “but you can do 15 miles, just imagine me doing this with weight a weapon and twice the mileage” CHEERS MATE!!!! so with that I HAD to go to the 15 mile point…I saw Kester chilling out at the side of the road awaiting us so MD could start running, its was a good sight (don’t get excited Kester). Mark and Chunks then realised we were 0.2 of a mile short but as I had worked so hard they let me off…NOT!!!! off I trotted for 0.2 miles then there was the magic beep of the horn to indicate it was all over!! 15 miles is the furthest I have ever run and I did really struggle on this run. The guys are doing the same if not more mileage a day everyday and I’m aching after one day! I am in no way, shape or form a runner and don’t think I ever will be but to taste what these guys go through everyday leads me to once again remind you all of why we are here, please guys help us to raise our target! Visit us at www.thegumpathon.com or there is the text to donate 50555 $10 USA or 70800 £5 UK!
Well I best go and sleep now and get geared up for another day!!Think of us all out here and we will all be home soon (I will only do a few autographs and photos at the airport so first come first serve people!!hahaha) lets make a million!!
Paul AKA: Toady!!x
Hi this is Claire and this is my first blog … with plenty of time to think about what to write I thought firstly I would get my own back on the lads. As one of the only two girls out here I have experienced my fair share of ‘pranks’ in the past month or so and this seemed the perfect opportunity for revenge, but on reflection that’s not what this event is about, its about a lot more than that …
… its about all the people here in the US who have taken us into their homes and hearts; its about the State Troopers who have kept us moving, the people of Collingdale, PA who came out on a Saturday and fed us; the National Guard in Tennessee and Kentucky who took us in at short notice; the East Nasty Running Club who came out en masse to run with Chunks and Crazy; Russ, the MCL and the people of Henderson, TN who let us crash their Autumn Festival and gave the guys a standing ovation for what they are doing; the University of Charlottesville Marine OTC who not only ran with us but raised money for us; the campsites who have put us up free and helped us spread the word; its about Jack and Shyla who got the schools of Amarillo out to cheer the guys on and the Hereford High Marine Corps Junior OTC who turned out at 7am on a Saturday morning to line the running route with flags. Its about the guys at Hanger who have kept Mark on the road and Heath and Bill who ran with him. The schoolchildren of Oklahoma who made Mark, Chunks and Crazys’ day with their questions. Its about everyone who has helped us or stopped us by the side of the road to give us their hard-earned money, or gone online from the UK, or texted.
Its about 6 guys - Crazy, Jamie, Damian, Chunks, MD and Mark who whilst tired and hurting are still pounding the tarmac and pulling together to keep going and complete the challenge. Its about the support crew - Toady, Kes, Danny, Matt and Caroline who all play their part to keep the team rolling on.
But most of all its about all the servicemen and women who need our help, those like the 19 year old US Marine, now a quadruple amputee, who is learning to use his prosthetics, that’s what is most important and that’s why we are here.
Thanks for helping us make a difference, Clazza
Text GUMP to 50555 to donate $10 or 70800 to donate £5.
Well hello everybody, it has been a while since I blogged fully as I have had a welcome reprieve with the team giving their take on the world that is, ‘The Gumpathon’.
I write this at the final changeover point for day 37 on the western edge of a town called Clovis, New Mexico. Yes, we are now in our 13th state of 16. I remember looking at a wall map of the USA with Crazy in Shenandoah, Virginia and him saying that it was mentally unnerving seeing just how far we had to go. Conversely, now, we looked at a full map of the USA and both smiled thinking, yes, we’re nearly there. Well when I say nearly there, we still have 1312 miles to push, the Rocky mountains to cross and of course an 8000ft climb to the southern rim of the Grand Canyon! But hey, it’s all downhill from here *GULP*.
A lot of miles have been covered, 2218 to be exact and I don’t think anybody on the team can say that they haven’t been tired at one point or another. In fact, I would wager that the team are tired all of the time. I know that I am, I can’t remember how many times I’ve face planted my laptop over the past 37 days but the figure is considerable. I’ve tried to think long and hard about how to convey this particular feeling of fatigue to everybody that reads this blog and it is very difficult to do so in one hit, so I’ll break it down for both the civilian and military readers. To the military, I guess it’s like going on exercise for a couple of weeks with little sleep, yomping/tabbing/marching everyday and then come endex, you are told that you’re out for another two weeks…. Repeat this four times over and remember that sinking feeling in your gut which is an automatic reaction to such news. For the civilians amongst you, consider going out on the town, a few drinks or indeed a lot of drinks, making shapes on the dancefloor leading to the inevitable blisters & sore spots, eating your kebab/pizza and then getting into a taxi to take you home. Instead of taking you home he takes you back to the club, ask you to get out and you do it all over again & again & again for 63 days non-stop…. That my friends is how we all feel, absolutely exhausted.
Speaking of which, I have to tell you about my own personal challenge. I wanted to do something which I hope will spur people to support/donate to the cause. Yes it was about personal achievement but more to the point, make people realise what we are doing out here in order to make a difference. I chose to ride the longest day’s mileage on Achilles, my hand bike which happened to be a sum total of 85.30 miles. The most I had ever covered before in one shot was 34.10 miles back in the UK some 5 weeks earlier.
I started out at 0700hrs on day 34/Oct 13th… (The days of the week mean nothing out here to us, we simply work in event day numbers!) It was a cool morning and Jamie & Kester dropped me out of the SUV with Achilles. Lights on, flag up and away we went. I can honestly say that the first 20 miles felt good, and I thought that if it was going to be like this for the rest of the journey, happy days! 34 miles came and went and Jamie sounded the horn to record my new personal best!! I still felt ok though my backside was a little bit numb. 44 miles came and we stopped for a French vanilla latte at at local Gas station. A sandwich was also promptly consumed along with another Maxifuel Gel and the halfway point was passed… Fatigue set in at around 55 miles and I really did want to just finish the day’s ride but I knew that if I was to reach 85 miles then I would want to push that extra 15 to make the magic 100… The headwind throughout was annoying the hell out of me and was adding precious time to the day. I can generally rack up sub 5 minute miles on the flat without any wind but the 6’s and 7’s were more common. 70 miles came and we crossed from Oklahoma into Texas which would’ve ordinarily been a cause for celebration but I really had gone into ‘OMG where the heck am I mode?’ My arms, back and backside were hurting now but I kept saying to myself, just think of the miles you’ve done… This is all easy!! Who was I trying to kid and at the 80 mile marker I got off the bike and proceeded to throw up quite violently, more violently than I have ever done before. After the fourth wave I expelled a significant amount of blood…. Jamie’s face was a vision that I will never forget. Ordinarily, like his surrogate Dad (That being me) he’s a joker and prankster but his genuine concern was evident. ‘Just do the 85 Dad, that’s great mate, you don’t need to prove anything’ were his words to me… I told both him and Caroline (Caroline took over from Kester approx 10 miles earlier as he had to go and treat himself to a Subway) that they were to say nothing of this until I had finished. So we cracked on and rode through the end point for the day where some of the guys/gals were cheering and clapping, but I didn’t stop, I wanted the century. My stops had become more frequent over the last 30 miles through both fatigue and frustration in myself I guess but there is one thing that is both my greatest strength and weakness… The mindset not to fail. I thought of everything I could but the pain, particularly in my arms and upperback/neck. 90 miles passed as the darkness drew in close and the air was alive with moths, midges and crickets. I must have swallowed at least 20 in that last 15 miles! Good protein I guess but still the road climbed upwards and relentlessly. 100 miles finally gladly bleeped its’ way into the Garmin on my wrist and I punched the air several times in victory.
I had chosen to wear a long sleeved top which was kindly donated to us by the Semper Fi organisation. It started out as being white and finished up, at the end of the day, a little more tye dyed from the effects of sweat, vomit, Maxifuel drinks, dirt, dust, banana, ranch dressing, blood & chain oil… Not a pretty sight and I can honestly say that I wasn’t either. Alice Cooper I believe was mentioned or indeed an extra from the rockband Kiss! (By the way I love both of the aforementioned, it’s purely from a stage presence point of view so don’t sue me please)
I don’t want to sound arrogant, I am proud of achieving and surpassing my own challenge, I owned the road that day. I was out for a total of 12.5hours of which I was mobile for 9.5 hours giving an average speed of over 10mph. Not bad for an old man!
As Gordon Ramsey would say…Personal Challenge…DONE!
My last point is that I am incredibly proud of my team, it’s never easy, it wasn’t meant to be and though we won’t always get along… In my own little way I love them all…Even you Kester! I look forward to standing side by side with each and every one of them on the pier in Santa Monica, smile and say, ‘WE DID IT!’
Big Love to Lewis & Sam, My Mum, Pops & Clan, Cess & his tribe (Growing ever larger) Hodge (Get well NOW), Vonnie & clan and everybody else who has supported us… Love and miss you all. xxx8
Till next time, signing off
Damian ‘Toddmeister’ Todd
Team Leader of The Gumpathon
Guys/Girls, please, please, please if you haven’t already donated do so. Your donation no matter how small does make a difference… Collectively, we can make a significant impact on how our wounded live through your donations and support through the awareness.
US Resident text GUMP to 50555 to donate $10
UK Resident text GUMP to 70800 to donate £5
Or visit www.thegumpathon.com to donate online.
Thank you so very much in advance for your kindness.
Hi folks its Danny here, I’m the new chef and I joined the Gumpathon team seven days ago. So far I have travelled from Memphis to Oklahoma.
We have had a none running day for the whole team, where we have been able to generate a lot of media coverage to help towards the cause. Thanks to everyone from Hanger Prosthetics who have been extremely helpful in organising food and accommodation for us all.
So far its been an enjoyable trip for me (probably because I’m the chef and I’m not doing twenty odd miles running each day!)
Well that’s it for my first blog, I’m sure the longer I’m here the more I will have to tell you, but for now that’s me signing off. Cheers folks.
P.S. Spending the day with Subway was inspirational and an honour, he is a top bloke.
A big thank you to Shoot the Company’s Stephen Mulholland (www.shootthecompany.com) for editing our half way film. If you haven’t seen it yet then take a look on our Youtube channel http://www.youtube.com/user/gumpathon#p/u/3/uYMA9NXCmlU
Thanks again to all our supporters - we couldn’t do it without your help!