Higgy’s adventure
Martin Higgins (Higgy), completed his remarkable 1,000-mile run from Land’s End to John O’Groats to raise money for Glaucoma UK.
Higgy, a former member of the Red Arrows had his career as a jet pilot put at risk when he was diagnosed with glaucoma.
This health scare, not unlike those many of our members face when considering how their sight loss could affect their ability to drive, made Higgy aware of the shortfalls in glaucoma research. Now, equipped with glaucoma eye drops and the support of the Glaucoma UK community behind him, he undertook a huge challenge during our 50th anniversary year with the goal of raising funds for Glaucoma UK’s Pitts Crick Research Fellowship.
Over the course of five gruelling weeks, Higgy ran the entire length of the UK from Land’s End to John O’Groats.
Higgy set off from Land’s End on Saturday 1 June. He finally reached John O’Groats on Friday 5 July.
This was a major physical and logistical challenge, and in preparation Higgy trained for over 18 months. It’s still fairly rare that the route is attempted on foot, making it an enormous achievement for any runner or walker. In total, Higgy ran 1,000 miles (1,609km), with 70,000ft of elevation.
The route covered some scenic landmarks such as the South West Coast Path, Exmoor National Park, Offa’s Dyke and the West Highland Way. The off-road route spanned three countries, offering Higgy a unique opportunity to explore the UK’s stunning vistas from the ground, very unlike his usual bird’s eye view.
Follow Higgy’s progress
Higgy has been recording vlogs on some of his training runs. Follow his journey to find out how his fitness is progressing and what’s motivating him to clip off the miles.
Watch Higgy’s second update as he takes on a 15-mile training run after work in hot conditions. The sun finally came out towards the end of his training build-up after some challenging weather through the spring months.
Higgy is making progress up the length of the country! It hasn’t been easy, with an attack of shin splints in the first two weeks, but the flood of donations are keeping him going.
As Higgy moved through South Lanarkshire, he was honoured by a flyover from the Red Arrows. It was a memorable moment and a fitting tribute to his efforts to raise funds for glaucoma research.
We were incredibly grateful for donations towards Higgy’s ambitious goal of raising funds during our 50th anniversary year. Any amount was hugely appreciated. Thank you for your support!