Charity runner faces no sleep for 42 hours

Dad of two Ben Chalkley will be taking on a 133-mile run to raise money for the Alzheimer’s Society.

His late grandfather, John Bovington, suffered from Alzheimer’s and Ben started raising money for the charity through running last year.

He said: “My grandfather used to be very independent but then had a fall, shingles and eventually went into a home. By the end he couldn’t recognise anyone, Alzheimer’s is a terrible disease.”

Ben, 32, of Brushfield Road, Linacre Woods, has begun six months of training for the Chiltern Way Ultra which he will run with his brother Ian, a former member of Chesterfield Triathlon Club who now lives in France.

He is running up to 80 miles a week around Chesterfield and has done some night runs in the Peaks to acclimatise to running in the dark.

Ben, a human resources manager, said: “The hardest part is fitting in running around work and family life as I have two daughters, aged three and one.”

He has not yet practised for one demand of the Chiltern challenge in August - staying awake for 42 hours.

“The longest I have run without sleep is the Ladybower Ultra, “ said Ben. “That was twelve hours and three and a half loops of the reservoirs. It was hard.” He raised £900 for Alzheimer’s Society through that 50-mile run last year.

n To sponsor Ben, visit www.justgiving.com/fundraising/Ben-Chalkley3.