BBC Radio 2’s Sara Cox has reached a major milestone in her Great Northern Marathon Challenge, raising more than £1 million for BBC Children in Need.
The news was revealed live on air by Scott Mills, prompting an emotional reaction from Sara, who thanked listeners for their overwhelming support.
“Oh my god. One million two thousand… we’ve done a million! That’s massive, thank you. You have completely broken me everybody who has donated,” she said.
Sara, who is now halfway through her five-day, 135-mile challenge from Kielder Forest to Pudsey in Leeds, admitted she is struggling physically and emotionally as she continues the toughest leg of her journey.
Fellow Boltonian Peter Kay sent his encouragement with a typically humorous message, telling Sara: “What you are doing is a massive challenge. Huge. Think about how much it will mean to all those children in need. Saying that, all that money they are raising, they still never fixed Pudsey’s eye.”
Paddy McGuinness, covering Vernon Kay’s morning show, also urged listeners to get out and cheer Sara on. “People power is what gets you through. You might think she’ll be alright, but get out there, support her, it’s so important,” he said.
In celebration, the Radio 2 family recorded a special version of Five’s 1999 hit *Keep On Movin’*, featuring Scott Mills and several presenters. Five members Scott and Ritchie joined Scott on air to introduce the track, calling Sara’s effort “another level.”
Sara laughed through tears when she heard the song: “Don’t be nice to me, because you know I’ll be doing some ugly-crying by the side of the road. They promised me undulating today, that was a lie! This ain’t undulating – it’s mountainous!”
Listeners can follow Sara’s progress on BBC Sounds and Radio 2’s social media channels, or track her route live at bbc.co.uk/sara.
This story first appeared on radiotoday.co.uk