FAO: potential walkers to Didcot

[charlie]

Hello,

 

As you may know, each season a team of die hards walk to wherever the last away match of the season is. This year it's Didcot, which according to Gary House's estimate, will take 42 miles to get to safely (ie not as the crow flies and avoiding motorways).

 

This posed a question of whether we should encourage a hardy few to walk the full 42 miles, which would need either a stop over point somewhere midway or someone to chauffeur the walkers home and back to a certain point the next morning, or should we start the walk at Reading train station, thereby cutting nearly half the distance and making it a one-day walk.

 

I can see the merit for both. On the one hand, those regular walkers, and in particular those who walked to Worthing a few years back, may feel that they are cheating by walking just half the distance to the last game of the season.

 

On the other hand, by cutting the distance, we may encourage more walkers who can, in turn, bring more money in for the charity and the football club. It's not just a question of distance here, some can't afford to just take a day off work to walk for charity. Take Fleet last year, where just under 20 took part in the walk which was 25 ish miles to, then with the walk to Hampton and Richmond, it took 18 and a bit miles and we got 31 walkers.

 

So, dear forum users, I put it to you. Should we push on for the full 42 miles, restrict it to Reading-Didcot or offer both walks to allow maximum choice?

 

(P.S., I would have set up a poll, but for some reason my PC crashes when I tried to before, so it'll have to be message board responses for now.

 

Many thanks

Charlie

[Ian]

Walk half distance?!! <expresses shock >. !!

 

Having done 27 miles on day 1 of the epic to Worthing I can confirm a walk of 42 miles is not easy however!! If you're going to split it I'd suggest therefore that you did the bigger distance on day 1. We did 27 on day 1 then 21 on day 2 with the balance on day 3. Getting up and walking on day 2 hurts, but no more than it did the previous day!!

 

That means however that people will either need to take most of Friday off work or you'll be walking in the dusk/dark (8pm sunset in mid-April) which isn't great from a safety point of view. Kay plans to walk the full distance and I'm sure others will too. If you want two options what about a walk/cycle? Most people can ride at at least 10mph for that distance and I'd be definitely up for cycling it having done a 240 mile ride earlier this year . By bike it's four hours max and that way people won't necessarily feel like they're cheating by walking part way. Just a thought.

[A Rebel and a Saint]

The 25miles to Fleet last year nearly killed me!! I would not do the full distance but may be tempted by the single day option. I have to be at school on the Monday morning I believe to teach so I will have to think logically.

[brighton_rebel]

I like Iain's idea of cycling as an option, but why can't all options be open - some do the whole walk, some half, some cycle?

 

[HorshamRebel]

All options are currently open for discussion. What we are trying to do is get as many people as possible to do a distance that is longer than 1 day's walking can manage.

 

 

[Langley Rebel]

Hi There all Paul here i might go by Train to Didcot as the ground not that far from Didcot Train Station.

[Martin]

I'm walking the full distance and will do it over two days.

[Dominic]

Man up people - gotta be the whole way!

[Guest Radder]

I'm with Martin, got to be the whole way and I will be doing the 2 day option.

[HorshamRebel]

There is still a lot of preperation to go, thanks to everyone who has or will be commenting.

 

Alan and myself will be finalising the routes, etc. after Christmas. So keep on adding to this thread, as it all helps.

 

 

[brighton_rebel]

Surely the walk is all about raising as much cash as possible, so the more walkers the better. If some want to do the whole hog - fine, if some want to walk just half way, that's fine as well. If some want to pushed in a shopping trolley, cycle, skateboard etc then good for them.

[HorshamRebel]

As I said, there is still a lot of preperation to go, and nothing is being ruled out.

[Rebel Kay]

I'm up for the whole way too, obviously over two days.