Littlehampton dad’s ultra running challenge for charity

Kev Edmunds, 46, of Wick Farm Road, had gastric bypass surgery in 2018 and lost nine stone.

A year later, the married dad-of-two completed a half marathon, which, he said, left him proud and in tears.

But the rail worker is taking on his biggest challenge yet – to try to run 106km in 24 hours around the Isle of Wight on July 10.

“I’m bricking it if I’m honest,” Kev laughed. “The 24 hours doesn’t bother me, I work for the railway, so I’m used to doing night shifts – the constant moving for 24 hours is going to be hard.”

Kev has been training at Littlehampton Wave, with a goal of running on the treadmill three times a week. He also plays golf which requires a lot of walking around.

Before his gastric bypass, Kev was told by his doctor that if he did not lose weight he would not be here in 20 years.

The seriousness hit him, he said, and after losing his dad who was 67, he did not want to put his children through this.

“Since I’ve had the gastric bypass, I haven’t looked back,” added Kev. “It is probably the hardest thing I’ve done in my life.”

He said when he started running, he could only run 1.75km, but after hitting 10k one day, he knew he could go further.

He added: “I’ve got to keep myself occupied. I’ve got to train for something to keep myself motivated and my weight down.”

A gastric bypass is where surgical staples are used to create a small pouch at the top of the stomach. The pouch is then connected to your small intestine, missing out – bypassing – the rest of the stomach. This means it takes less food to make you feel full and you’ll absorb fewer calories from the food you eat.

Kev hopes to raise £1,000 for Cancer Research UK which he described as a ‘fantastic charity’.

Donate at www.justgiving.com/fundraising/kevin-edmunds.