Recovering addicts to take on 100 mile 24 hour charity challenge

All seven men are from Peterlee, Horden and Easington. Craig Wilson from Peterlee will run from Shotton Colliery to Yarm, then from Yarm to South Shields, a distance of 100 miles to be completed in 24 hours.

The six other fundraisers will follow him by bike.

The aim is to raise at least £3,000 which will be shared equally between Action For Pulmonary Fibrosis (a lung condition) and Mental Health North East.

The six cyclists are Lee Phillips, Robert Mordica, Gary Scholick, Connor Pearson, Callum Coxon and Victor Manuel Cardoso Moss.

They take up the challenge over the May Day bank holiday weekend, April 29 and 30. Their route follows that of historic former railway lines.

Craig, 37, became addicted to alcohol and drugs but is now a member of the 12 Step Fellowship, a programme used to recover from addictions and to significantly improve mental health.

Craig said: “We are all recovering addicts so we’ve all suffered in some way with mental health. I’m coming up to two years sober and for one of the other lads it’s almost three years. We’re all at different stages.

“A few weeks ago I ran 80 miles in 16-and-a-half hours and over 200 miles last week: 28 miles per day but with 56 on the last day. I’m a very fit lad.

“The route has some nice scenery. I ran the other day from Yarm back to Shotton – about 56 miles.

“I like doing it to challenge myself. When I was actively addicted I used to take two steps forward and three steps back. But now I’m capable of doing things like this.

“I’m looking forward to it. I’m used to running by myself, so with people carrying my food and water it’s going to be easier.”

To contribute to the charities the participants are running and pedalling for, go to the JustGiving pages of either the Mental Health North East or Action For Pulmonary Fibrosis fundraisers.