For most, running a marathon is a challenging feat, but David Pilbury has set himself the challenge of completing 140 miles around the perimeter of Anglesey.

Taking up running as a child, Dave has always loved to explore and adventure over the beautiful Glossop and Tameside hills. He frequently heads out to discover new hidden gems and set his mind free.

Having family in Anglesey, Dave and family often visit and love the beauty of the area.

“My father-in-law has a place there, so we go quite a lot and it’s really pretty. I often run when I’m down there, but I’ve only ever covered short distances.

“It will be so nice to see some of the places that I’ve not been to before,” Dave said.

To celebrate his 40th and raise highly appreciated funds for Reuben’s Retreat, the Glossop runner has set his sights on completing an ultra-marathon.

“There’s an organised event in September called the Ring O’Fire and as I turn 40 this year, I wanted to do something that marked my 40th, the Anglesey route is 140 miles.

“I thought that I didn’t need presents for my birthday, so instead I’m raising money for Reuben’s Retreat.”

Working in the NHS, David knows just how hard the charity work to provide care and support to families who need it most.

Reuben’s Retreat have been working to convert their building, but with the pandemic getting in the way, their building has been put on hold.

“It’s been a tough year for charities and Reuben’s are about a third of the way through renovating their building.

“They’ve been prioritising all the people that they provide care and support for. So, I thought if I could boost their funds in any way to give them resource then it means they’ve got a better chance of carrying out the work that they’ve been intending to do for the last two years,” says Dave.

He will be completing this momentous challenge over the Jubilee weekend and will be spending the rest of his time until then getting his body used to the repeated runs.

To complete the challenge, Dave will have to run 56 miles on day 1, 52 miles on day 2 and the remaining distance on his last day. He will be joined by friendly faces along the way as his friends and family flock to join him.

“I’ve got various friends coming to join, doing parts with me to keep me going. My wife will come along and do some with me, my brother and sister-in-law will and my eldest has said that he’ll run with me too.

“Friends that I’ve lost contact with and people who now live in North Wales have said they’ll come to join me for the route, so it’s been a really nice experience so far.”

As a physio, Dave often instructs his clients on methods to reduce pain, but for this race, he will have little tips to give himself. During his training, he has been consuming protein shakes and recovery drinks, something which he wouldn’t normally do.

He has also been venturing out on 20-mile runs, and then repeating this the same day. These tactics should hopefully get his body used to the intense strain that it will feel during the run.

“While training I’ve gone through two pairs of running shoes, I’ve worn them down and the cushioning has gone. It’s important that I wear comfortable footwear for this.

“My main bit of recovery will be jumping into the sea afterwards. I was there in February and jumping into that cold ice is absolutely freezing but is a good way to aid recovery,” he said.

Planning to celebrate after completing the mammoth challenge, Dave and family will be having a party on the beach. There has also been a secret surprise planned, but everyone is doing a great job of keeping that from him.

He will also be heading to Amsterdam for 24 hours with his wife, a trip that will be well deserved.

David is aiming to raise as much as he can to aid Reuben’s Retreat and will be aiming to post updates when he can so followers can keep an eye on his journey.

You can support his fundraiser here.

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