Overview
- Sara Cox is three days into her 135-mile Great Northern Marathon Challenge on foot, reaching Richmond on Wednesday and setting off toward Ripley today before a planned finish in Pudsey on Friday.
- BBC Radio 2 confirmed on air that donations had surpassed £1,002,869, prompting an emotional reaction from Cox as she thanked listeners for their support.
- Later coverage reported higher running totals as donations continued, with one outlet citing about £1.41 million during Wednesday’s progress updates.
- Communities turned out across County Durham and North Yorkshire with banners, school gatherings and even a 40-tractor guard of honour, while celebrities including Dame Judi Dench, Peter Kay, Louis Theroux, Mo Farah and Paula Radcliffe sent messages.
- The effort spans five marathons in five days with no vehicle support, supported by extensive BBC coverage, a live tracker and a planned iPlayer programme following the journey.