Sara Cox On Raising £9 Million For Children In Need Through 135-Mile Marathon: 'I've Never Known Pain Like It'

BBC radio and TV presenter Sara Cox completed a five-day, 135-mile endurance challenge to raise money for charity.

Cox took on and finished a charity endurance challenge for 'Children in Need' where she ran 135 miles for over five days carrying a Pudsey Bear backpack. Called Great Northern Marathon Challenge, she is the latest BBC star to do an annual endurance test for the charity.

She announced her audacious endeavor in September, and embarked on it last Monday, 10 November.

The Marathon's Route

Cox started her epic journey Monday morning, hitting the road in Kielder Forest where she covered 27 miles. On day two, she made her way to Wolsingham from Hexham, where she tackled a 1,500 feet ascent up Baal Hill.

Day three had her climbing steep hills from Country Durham to Richmond and day four was an almost 13-hour journey to Ripley.

Finally, on day five, Cox barreled through the rain brought by Storm Claudia to reach the finish line in Pudsey, where she was met by fellow Radio 2 host Scott Mills.

'It's just the hardest thing I've ever done, I've never known pain like it,' she told Mills. 'Thanks to everybody who let me stop for a wee at their house - it was a few people!'

Cox's fundraising mission was BBC Radio 2's longest in terms of duration.

Raising Money for Children

By Friday evening, it was announced that Cox raised £9,523,028 ($12.5 million) for Children in Need, BBC's official charity which raises money for disadvantaged children across Britain.

'It was a rollercoaster. Like, literally my mood was changing every three, four seconds,' the 50-year-old described.

The network announced at the end of their live appeal show that they were able to collect £45,507,536 ($59.9 million) worth of funds for their organization.

Motivation From Celebrities and Family

Throughout the challenge, Cox received motivation from different people, including famous ones. On Mills' breakfast show on Friday, Prince William sent a video message to BBC congratulating her in advance for her feat.

'Sara, massive congratulations for what you're doing,' the prince said. 'Keep going – you've done fantastically well and the nation's so proud of you.'

She also got words of encouragement from Sir Rod Stewart, Dame Judi Dench, Sir Mo Farah, Paul Radcliffe, and Mel C during the week. She also answered a call from her mother and sister in India on Thursday through a telephone box and was joined by her sister Dot that morning.

Cox also revealed that even Hollywood megastar Dwayne Johnson also gave her advice before she started.

'He said just picture how you'd feel if you didn't do it, if you didn't push yourself that extra bit, which was helpful. I'll have that ringing in my ears. There's no way I can't finish it. I've got to, I've got to complete it,' she said on Monday.

Other BBC Personalities Who Took on Endurance Challenges

In 2024, it was Paddy McGuinness who took on the endurance test for Children in Need called the Ultra Endurance Cycle Challenge.

Vernon Kay ran the Ultra Ultra Marathon in 2023, Scott Mills himself was pitted against the 24-Hour TreadMills Challenge in 2022, Sophie Ellis-Bextor's had the Kitchen Disco Danceathon in 2021, Joe Wicks' 24-Hour PE Challenge in 2020 and Rylan's Great Ka-RY-oke Challenge in 2019.