BBC Radio 2 presenter Sara Cox has announced a monumental fundraising achievement, revealing that her Great Northern Marathon Challenge has raised a staggering £11,501,637 for Children In Need.
The phenomenal total represents a surge of over £1.3 million since Monday, when the figure stood at £10.2 million. Donations poured in following the broadcast of her behind-the-scenes documentary, Sara Cox: Every Step of the Way, on BBC One on Wednesday night.
The Mammoth Physical Feat
The 50-year-old broadcaster undertook an extraordinary physical challenge, covering 135 miles on foot across five days. Her route took her through four counties: Northumberland, County Durham, North Yorkshire, and West Yorkshire – a distance equivalent to running five marathons back-to-back.
Announcing the new total on her Radio 2 teatime show on Thursday, an emotional Sara told her listeners: "You are legends. Every fiver, tenner, every twenty, every thirty. Whatever you gave a couple of quid on the side of the road."
She made a special mention of the children who donated their tooth fairy money, emphasising that "every penny goes to helping children and young people in the UK and you are absolutely incredible."
Royal Congratulations and Roadside Support
Sara's incredible effort garnered high-profile praise, including a good luck message from the Prince of Wales. In a video played on Scott Mills' Radio 2 Breakfast Show, Prince William said: "Sara, massive congratulations for what you're doing... the nation's so proud of you."
Sara joked about her informal response to the future King, revealing: "I think I said 'big up your bad self' to the future king, can I apologise now? It was lovely, it was amazing."
The support was also tangible on the ground, with an impressive £35,000 raised just from collection buckets passed by supporters along her running route.
The Power of Music and A Triumphant Return
After crossing the finish line, Sara shared that music was her driving force. She gave a special shout-out to Chase and Status and Stormzy for their track 'Backbone', while also offering a humorous apology to her son for her "cringe" on-screen singing.
"I was singing along at one point like a mad woman, singing along to Blur, and all sorts just to try and push through," she told Scott Mills and the Radio 2 audience.
Having made a triumphant return to her Radio 2 Teatime Show on Wednesday, Sara encouraged everyone who donated to take a moment to celebrate this collective victory for the UK's children.
