'Undentable' army soldiers pass through Perthshire
Army officers devastated by a colleague's death in Afghanistan are in the midst of an epic fund-raising effort in his memory.
The team passing through Bridge of Earn on Monday.
- By Dave Lord
- Published in the Courier : 15.06.10
- Published online : 15.06.10 @ 09.11am
Major Carl "Chuckles" Boswell, Lieutenant Colonel Nigel Moreland, and former officer P. J. Luard hope to raise £100,000 as they run the 851 miles from John O'Groats to Land's End in just 17 days — covering the equivalent of a double marathon every day.
Despite the nature of the feat of endurance faced, they refuse to contemplate failure, insisting it is the least they can do following the death of Captain Mark Hale.
Although grief-stricken by the father-of-two's death last year, his friends were determined to ensure it was not in vain.
Their challenge was titled the "undentable" run after the word was coined to describe Capt Hale.
"No other word sufficiently captured the essence of the man," Carl said as the charity run reached Perthshire along with suport runner Paul Kinsey.
"Mark's commanding officer, Lieutenant Colonel Rob Thompson, came up with the description and it is just stuck."
However, the run is about more than Capt Hale as he is just one of hundreds of British soldiers who have given their lives fighting for their country.
"Clearly, the catalyst for all this was the death of our dear friend," Carl added. "Mark has inspired us to do this run in honour of his sacrifice and that of so many other soldiers and their families."
Carl hopes their efforts will prove inspirational.
"We can't change terrible events, but we can do something to help by providing financial support to those organisations and charities which fight quietly in the background, helping our stoic and brave soldiers and their families to cope," he said. "We can make a difference."
The charity runners were "delighted" after their efforts drew warm words of praise from Prime Minister David Cameron.
"Captain Hale was by all accounts a truly great soldier, driven to get things done," Mr Cameron said.
"So what better way to remember his life and service than by organising a 17-day run from John O'Groats to Land's End?
"Running a double marathon every day for 17 days is an incredible thing to take on and try to accomplish.
"However, by the sounds of it, that wouldn't have stopped Captain Hale."
Mr Cameron said he was proud to offer his support for the run.
"The way these servicemen are taking on this task to help others is in the finest traditions of our armed forces, and very much in line with the great sacrifice Captain Hale made with his own life," he added.
The intrepid runners aim to reach the finishing line on June 26 and hope to raise £100,000 for Help for Heroes, the armed forces' benevolent fund and the Rifles Regimental Trust.
Nigel (42), Carl (34) and P. J. (32) were all close friends of Captain Hale.
He was killed in August as he attempted to rescue an injured soldier while serving in Afghanistan with 2 RIFLES.
He was 42 and left behind his wife Brenda, and their daughters Tori (17) and Alix (9).
Carl's determination to complete the challenge is all the more extraordinary as he is on 24-hour notice to deploy worldwide.
Information on the run and sponsorship details can be found at www.undentablerun.com
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