Carl takes on next epic charity challenge for Pendleside Hospice with Isle of Man Parish Walk

At 8am on Saturday, June 24th, the dad-of-two from Fence will embark on a brutal 85-mile walk, which he must complete within 24 hours.

The Manx Telecom sponsored Isle of Man Parish Walk takes in all 17 parish churches on the Isle of Man.

Carl has never been one to rebuff a challenge, having previously completed three marathons and 54 laps of Pendle Hill over three days, collectively raising over £40,000 for Pendleside Hospice in memory of his late mum, Maureen. But he admits that this is his most taxing challenge to date.

He said: “I’ve long wanted to do the Isle of Man walk and decided that now was the time to nail my colours to the mast.

“I will have to be walking at around 3.5 miles per hour to keep the pace required to complete the race, which will be fine as I start out, but no doubt tough as I approach the final miles.

“My partner Justine Riley is coming along to provide back-up assistance, which is part of the race requirements, and it will be good to see a familiar face en route!

“Last year only 170 of the 2200 competitors actually completed the race, but I’m determined to be one of the few crossing that line. Let’s see if I change my mind on the day.”

Carl has been a dedicated Pendleside Hospice fundraiser since his mum was cared for there in 2019.

He said: “They do a phenomenal job for both the patients and their families every day and I just want to give back in some way. It’s our family’s way of saying thank you.”

Carl already made a dent in his fundraising efforts by taking part in the TCS London Marathon in April this year, but he is hoping to top up those funds to £5000 with this latest challenge.

“I really appreciate everyone’s support so far and ask that if anyone else has a spare £5 or £10 to add to the pot. Thank you.”