A TIDWORTH man is challenging himself to an epic 100km run on Remembrance Day, in memory of his grandfather.

After completing the London Marathon in October 2021, Rob Taylor, who works as a tea taster for Twinings in Andover, has set himself a new goal for a cause very close to his heart.

Speaking to the Advertiser, the 31-year-old said: “My grandfather passed away in 2006, but in his last years he suffered with Alzheimer’s. I was a young teenage boy at the time and so I didn’t fully grasp the impact it has, not just on the individual, but on the family as well. It’s a tragic disease.”

The father-of-one continued: “In 2021, I ran the London marathon for a tea charity. While it’s close to me, it’s not in my heart, and I wanted to take the next challenge for something so close to me.

“I set myself the challenge in February to run the marathon, having only dabbled in running before.

“I did it in 4 hours 17 minutes, but I had pneumonia in July and August so I wasn’t as ready as I wanted to be and now I have a fire in my belly to prove a point to myself!

“So I wanted to step it up a notch and do something really out there.”

On November 11, 2022, Rob will aim to run 100km in 11 hours, 11 minutes and 22 seconds to raise money for the Alzheimer’s Society.

He has titled his challenge ‘100 to Remember’, bringing together the importance of the cause, as well as paying respect to the armed forces as his grandfather was a rear gunner and lancaster bomber in the RAF - hence his chosen date and goal time.

He is also planning a route between Chartwell House in Kent, which was the family home of Winston Churchill, and the Cliffs of Dover.

“I’m flying the flag, to tip my cap to the veterans, but also trying to drum up some awareness and money for a wonderful cause,” Rob said.

“I have never run more than a marathon before, so I am going into uncharted waters. I do need an aim and a goal, it keeps me on the straight and narrow!”

As he starts his training, Rob says he is grateful for the support of his friends and family.

“This is not a one-man job,” he said. “I could not have done this without my wife, Betty.

“Running can be tough, but there is no better feeling! When you are battling the elements, there is actually something poetic about it. It’s very hard, but you get into the groove and routine.”

In spreading the word about his fundraiser, Rob is not asking for any one person to make a major contribution, but is instead asking if everyone could donate one or two pounds, and then spread the word to six other people.

“It’s the six degrees of separation theory - we are all connected in this world through six people who know six more people, who in turn know six etcetera,” he explained.

“If you are able to donate £1 and share with six other people, who repeat this process , over £1 million would be raised in just 8 phases!”

Rob said he thought the theory was “pertinent to Alzheimer’s and the connectivity of the brain”.

For more information, or to make a donation, visit: https://justgiving.com/fundraising/100toremember.

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