Fundraiser completes marathon challenge for equine charity
Clive Poole was one of 12 runners to complete the challenge.
A 57-year-old man has raised over £1,400 for The Donkey Sanctuary, after running seven marathons in seven days.
Clive Poole, from Gloucester, completed the ‘Week At the Knees’ challenge for the charity, covering 183.4 miles in total across Buckinghamshire.
Mr Poole discovered the work of The Donkey Sanctuary by chance, after finding its Sidmouth sanctuary was close to where he was holidaying in Devon. He and his wife visited the sanctuary, and soon found a passion for donkeys and the sanctuary.
This, as well as his hobby of running, inspired Mr Poole to sign up for his seven-day marathon challenge.
The challenge did come with its difficulties, after his ankle gave way with just five miles left of his seventh marathon. Mr Poole continued on, covering the final distance at a walking pace.
Through this perseverance, Mr Poole became one of the 12 runners to complete the Week At the Knees challenge. He has since had a tattoo drawn to celebrate his achievement.
The completion of his seventh marathon for The Donkey Sanctuary brings Mr Poole’s total number of marathons to 90. This leaves him with just 10 more marathons to run to join the UK 100 Marathon Club.
Despite the hardships, Mr Poole says that he has made some friends for life from the experience.
He and his wife now visit the Donkey Sanctuary’s East Devon premises several times a year, stopping in to visit their two-year-old grandson’s adopted donkey Drizzle.
Rose Huxham, fundraising officer at the Donkey Sanctuary, said: “We offer Clive our heartfelt congratulations on completing such a mammoth task.
“It is such an amazing achievement to not only complete the seven marathons in seven days, but for raising such a great amount too, which will help us continue our work supporting donkeys at most in need.”
Image © The Donkey Sanctuary
The Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) is inviting applications from veterinary students to attend a one-week extramural studies (EMS) placement in July 2026.
