It has been another great day today as "Run Geordie Run Down Under ... with Benfield" gets ever nearer! In fact it's only 3 days before I set off from Cottesloe Beach at 7am on Wednesday 16th October. It was there that my day today started when I filmed a news item with Channel Ten Eye Witness News. Ex ITV and Sky broadcaster Jonathan Morrell put the questions to me and it was a piece that was shown all across Australia later in the day. It first hit the news in Sydney at around 2pm (my time) and later at 5pm in Perth.
A group of us gathered around the TV to watch the piece that lasted almost a minute and a half. The trailer that was shown at the start of Ten Eye Witness News can be viewed below.
Thank you to Jonathan Morrell and Andrew Friend for pulling all of the necessary strings to make the news item happen. My sponsors will be very pleased that their logos were seen all over Australia. I think the biggest win was for my shoe sponsor Brooks as there was a lingering shot of my Glycerin running shoes (as shown below). I have 7 pairs of those incidentally to get me across Australia.
While I was down at Cottesloe Beach, I spoke to Mark, one of the senior life guards, who told me about a "famous Australian saying". It can be heard using the widget below.
After the filming was finished, Jonathan and I went up the coast for lunch in a town called Hilarys. It was very nice indeed (as you can see from the view from the restaurant below). Jonathan is a very interesting man to speak to and I got a really good insight into life as an ex pat, his former UK TV career as well as the broadcasting that he does here in Western Australia.
I'll be seeing Jonathan (pictured below) again on Tuesday as we'll both be taking part in a special edition of his ABC 720 show that will be linking up with Gary and Lisa on Real Radio. I've just heard the audio promo pieces (known as a BED in the radio industry) and I have to admit that they gave me goosebumps. It's brilliant and stirring stuff indeed. Please tune in to that if you can on Tuesday. I'll post a link to the show tomorrow night.
I finished the day by double checking the day 1 route out of Perth. It's potentially quite tricky, with lots of twists and turns and I want to be as familiar as possible with it before I have to run it. Of course, once out of Perth, the next 1640 miles to Adelaide will see only 3 major turns being made.
As I type this blog post the first support team member, Graham, will be on his way from Newcastle to Dubai. Before he arrives, tomorrow evening, I will be getting the final supplies for the run as well as a satellite phone hopefully.
As ever, I'll close by saying thanks for the donations for the Sir Bobby Robson Foundation and the Children's Foundation. The charity fund currently stands at £15,119 which is brilliant but there is such a very long way to go to reach my own personal £50,000 target. Please consider making a donation. If you do then please remember to leave a message of encouragement. I will be able to read and take great motivation from them.
That's all for now and don't forget that Run Geordie Run Down Under ... With Benfield gets underway next week!!
That's all for now and don't forget that Run Geordie Run Down Under ... With Benfield gets underway next week!!
