A couple ran 106 gruelling miles to raise money for a mental health charity.
Terri and Stephen Docza, from Cowling, ran the equivalent of four marathons back-to-back lapping Kielder Water in Northumberland four times on July 28.
The self-supported run covered a total distance of 106.25 miles with 10,835ft of climbing, and it took 34 hours and 26 minutes to complete.
Stephen and Terri Dozca ran the equivalent of four marathons around Kielder Water
(Image: UGC)
The couple said: "As far as we’ve been able to establish, we haven’t found any record of anyone previously completing four continuous self-supported laps of the Kielder Marathon route in one run.
"There was no crew and no aid stations.
"It was just the two of us, carrying what we needed and using supplies we had left in our motorhome and car as refill points around the route.
Stephen and Terri Dozca ran the equivalent of four marathons around Kielder Water
(Image: UGC)
"We’re not professional athletes either, just an ordinary couple who somehow ended up taking on a fairly ridiculous challenge."
Terri said: “It also happened to be Stephen’s 43rd birthday.
“Apparently a normal birthday run was never really an option."
Stephen and Terri Dozca ran the equivalent of four marathons around Kielder Water
(Image: UGC)
But the 'birthday run' had a much deeper meaning for the couple.
They said: "But the real reason we took on the 106 miles was mental health."
Terri, a former British Army soldier who served in Afghanistan, said: "I grew up in Leeds and served for four years in the British Army, including a tour of Afghanistan."
Stephen was born in Hungary but says he was “made in North Yorkshire”.
The couple live in Cowling but work in Bellingham, Northumberland, near Kielder Water.
They said: "We’ve both had our own experiences with mental health struggles, and running, hiking and taking on challenges became a way for us to rebuild, push ourselves and turn some of those experiences into something positive.
"We wanted the run to raise money for Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM), the suicide prevention charity, but also to remind people that they’re not alone and that it’s okay to talk before things become too much."
“So far, we’ve raised more than £1,250, and we’ve now increased our fundraising target to £2,500.
“The story isn’t finished either. We’ve been invited back to run the official Kielder Marathon on October 4.
“We’ll continue fundraising for CALM, although thankfully it’s just the one marathon this time.
Donations can be made at justgiving.com/page/terri-and-stephen-3.