A mum from Salford is aiming to run a 100-mile ultramarathon “in a day” in a bid to raise £50,000 for a local hospice.
Belinda Neild, 49, is gearing up to run the rat race between Bamburgh Castle in Northumberland and Edinburgh Castle, which she hopes to finish in less than 24 hours.
The big-hearted art teacher at Fred Longworth High School has already raised thousands for charity by running the length of Hadrian’s Wall and twice broke the world record for the fastest person to run a marathon dressed as a stationary item – first as a crayon, then as a super-pacey pencil.
She will ditch her brightly coloured costumes when she sets off on her most gruelling endurance challenge yet on the Northumberland Coast on 4 July to raise money for Moya Cole Hospice.
Her latest run will be completed in memory of her mum, who passed away from cancer, and her dad, who died before Christmas last year.
Belinda explained that she “wants to give something back” to the hospice that looked after her mother before she passed away from cancer as well as several other family members.
“The Moya Cole Hospice have been absolutely amazing,” she said. “My mum was in daycare and on the last day before she passed away, she had the biggest smile on her face. They also cared for my auntie and my father-in-law, who they looked after so well.”
Belinda began her running journey in 2011 following her mum’s death. “I never ran before my mum died,” she said. “It definitely helped me to cope with the grief and then I started raising money and wearing outfits and it just grew from there.”
In preparation for the gruelling challenge, Belinda explained she has been running a “marathon every weekend for the past six or seven weeks.”
She said: “Every weekend I look, and it says three hours on my strict plan and four hours on my plan, and it feels ridiculous, I did a marathon on Saturday and another on Sunday, so I am constantly putting in the miles.”
Belinda highlighted that the kids she teaches know her as the Manchester bee after she ran a marathon for the hospice in a black and yellow inflatable in the shape of the city’s iconic symbol, and the school shared her achievement online.
Since then, she’s been inundated with questions from students about her preparation for the runs. “They tell me when they have been running 5k or 10ks, which is really nice. They often ask, ‘Can you send me a plan, Miss?’ Which is nice, the school has been very supportive.”
“I say to my students in school, give me some more time on the day,” she laughed, explaining that it can be difficult to balance life as an art teacher, her training and time spent coaching junior athletes at Salford Mets.
To raise money for the hospice, Belinda has been holding 10-kilometre community walks through Monton and Worsley with a couple of refreshment breaks at local pubs on route.
A £10 donation is required to join the group as they stroll through Salford in the sunshine. “I call the walks’ 10k, £10, big impact,” she said. “I expected 30 people to turn up last time, but then 130 showed up and we raised nearly two grand. It was amazing.”
Belinda plans to celebrate her 50th birthday by hosting another charity walk on 14 June, which will begin at Dukes Drive in Monton and finish at the Waterside pub. “Hopefully, at the end we can all celebrate and have a drink,” she said before adding: “Of course I won’t be drinking with the ultra on the way.”
She added: “To see people donate and turn out at these events makes me emotional. Before I start running, I’m usually a nervous wreck.”
Known by her students as Mrs Neild the art teacher and to others as her host of marathon personas ranging from the world’s fastest pencil to race-running Forrest Gump, Belinda is now within £8,000 of reaching her £50,000 fundraising target.
But what can follow a 100-kilometre ultramarathon? “I don’t know, I’ll pick another challenge and just keep raising money,” she said.
