Charity walker Richard Farquhar completes the last leg of his mammoth 3,000-mile walk at this month’s Craven Meeting at Newmarket.
The 53-year-old father of four has taken a year out of his life in the City to raise funds for Racing Welfare and Pancreatic Cancer UK.
En route he has lost two stone and worn out five pairs of trainers and two pairs of walking boots, but never ceased to be amazed by the British countryside.
“We live in an outstandingly beautiful country and I’ve gone 53 years of my life without seeing hardly any of it,” he said.
“But in the last 12 months I have walked 3,000 miles round this country and it’s an amazing place to spend some time in.”
By 14 April when Mr Farquhar strides up the Rowley Mile to complete his Walking the Courses challenge, he will have walked an unbroken line around all 60 racecourses in Britain.
The day will be an emotional end to the epic 13-month challenge, which started on 20 March 2015 at Newmarket.
“The Craven Meeting was always the meeting at which I intended to conclude my 3,000 mile charity walk. It’s a meeting my late father – who died of pancreatic cancer in 2012 – and I went to for my 21st birthday and returned to religiously for 25 years thereafter,” said Farquhar.
The meeting will also commemorate the 350th anniversary of King Charles II bringing racing to Newmarket.
The racecourse is calling on donors to push Farquhar’s fundraising total to over £350,000 to coincide with the celebration.
Related articles:
“It is a real honour to have Richard finish his incredible journey at Newmarket Racecourse just over a year after he set off from the Rowley Mile on his first leg of Walking the Courses,” said Amy Starkey the Jockey Club’s east region director.
“To raise over £350,000 for the very worthy beneficiaries by the time he reaches his final destination would be very special especially as the “Home of Racing” celebrates 350 years of making history.”
