A year ago to the day…...

It's a cliche but it's really hard to believe just how fast time flies. It is, in fact, 1 year since I started running across the USA from Ruby's Cafe at Huntington Beach. Where on earth has the time gone?

Over the next 100 days I intend to recall each corresponding day from the run across the USA. I'll be uploading photos that were never published together with footage on YouTube that has never been seen and audio on Youtube that was never heard. It will all end on August 8th where I'll be reliving those final glorious moments in Coney Island and piecing together how the media in the UK saw things alongside my own viewpoint. 

If you missed out on the run in 2011 please stick around to find out what it was all about and how I successfully managed to run across the USA in 100 days. If you happened to follow the run last year then I hope to bring a completely different angle to proceedings. Without sounding too much like a tabloid newspaper, I'll be pulling no punches to bring you the inside story. 

For many reasons, there were certain things that I could not write about while in the USA. Now that I'm at a safe distance I intend to leave no stone unturned. I'm sure that it will be controversial. I'm sure that it will offend a few people. The story that will unfold over the next 100 days will recount all of the good times, the bad times, the tough times, the painful times as well as the glorious times.

Please do feel free to get in touch with any questions at sponsorship@rungeordierun.com. I'll do my best to answer all of your questions and publish as many as I can on my blog.

In the meantime, please sit back and enjoy the story of 1 Geordie's journey across the USA.

Some nice feedback

I recieved the following email today from Andrew McBride and I thought I'd share it on my blog. It's this kind of feedback that, on top of the funds raised for St Benedict's Hospice and The Children's Foundation, makes it all worthwhile.

"Hi Mark, 

I know you must get hundreds of emails like this everyday...just wanted to say best of luck for the planning and preparation of the Australia run. I had the pleasure of hearing you speak so passionately and inspiringly at the Derwentside Sports Awards not so long ago, until recently I used to live in Shotley Bridge but now reside in Auckland, New Zealand, working at Westlake Boy's High School. 

We have national champions in all age groups for long distance running, cross country and road racing.  

I have been using much of the content on your website and youtube page to inspire and motivate our boys, without having met you, they think you are a bit of a legend! Just shows you how far things can spread and how many people can be inspired. All the best and kind regards Andrew McBride"

Commercial sponsor number 2 for Australia 2013

Last week I made the announcement that the first commercial sponsor for the run across Australia was Benfield. Soon after they were on board, another company pledged their support. It gives me great pleasure to now reveal that the second commercial sponsor for the run across Australia is Identicom.

Rather appropriately, Identicom have a presence in the UK and Australia. They provide lone or remote workers with tracking devices. These are devices that transmit GPS and other environmental data back to, say, an employer who can ensure that their staff's whereabouts are known. Can you a see where this is going? Identicom's support is not only financial but, amazingly, they will also be providing me with their award winning tracking equipment.

The ability to have my position tracked in Australia will not only give my family peace of mind but will also help to really engage the readers of this blog. I'm always very keen on taking people on the journey with me and this will really help to do just that while I'm in Australia. It's going to add an extra dimension to the run. I anticipate people becoming addicted to tracking the little dot on a map on this blog as it makes it's way across the Outback.

There will be many more blog posts to follow about my partnership with Identicom. I will be trialling the product during various long training runs. For further information about their products please click here.

If you would like to join Identicom in supporting the run across Australia then please get in touch at sponsorship@rungeordierun.com and I'll send you an information pack.

Commercial sponsor number 1 for Australia 2013

It's 18 months until the start of the run across Australia. Unlike all of my previous events, I won't be paying the costs of this particular event. Instead, I am looking to the business world for support. The search for such support has been relentless since the turn of the year. I'm pleased to report that very good progress has been made and I'm now in a position to unveil the first official supporter of Run Geordie Run for the run across Australia in 2013. 

Finding a business with the same principals that I have is important and the first sponsor is a very nice fit indeed. Despite the large size of the company, it's a family owned business and it even has it's own charitable trust. Their slogan, "Enjoy the journey" could not be more in keeping with the spirit of Run Geordie Run. 

It gives me great pleasure to reveal the first supporter of the run across Australia; Benfield Motor Group.   

Our partnership was revealed last week with a good throng of press present on the Quayside in Newcastle. It was a busy press day altogether, with a live appearance on BBC Newcastle's breakfast show with Alfie and Charlie followed by the interviews on the quayside resulting in articles in The Journal, Chronicle, Northern Echo, the news bulletins on Real Radio and in various other publications and websites. 

Benfield's support on it's own, while very generous, is not not enough to make the run across Australia a certainty to happen. For that reason, the search for other such support continues. Watch this space for further news in the coming weeks. In the meantime, thank you to Benfield for being the first business to support Run Geordie Run and the run across Australia.

If you would like to join Benfield in supporting the run across Australia then please get in touch at sponsorship@rungeordierun.com and I'll send you an information pack.

Australia 2013 - Full route now online

The full route that I'll be running across Australia is now online for your viewing pleasure!

I've put the same amount of effort into this route as I did with my previous routes from John O'Groats to Lands End and California to New York.

It's a lot simpler than previous routes but is going to be incredibly difficult to run. 41 miles per day in very uncomfortable temperatures in a mostly unforgiving and inhospitable place is why I'm calling this my most difficult challenge to date.

I've not only reconciled the mileage and route on 2 occasions I've also had it indepentantly checked. I will revisit the route another couple of times before I set off for Australia. Nothing is ever left to chance with a route of this nature. 

To view the route click here. There is also a permanent link to the route across Australia on the right hand side of this blog.