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Sharon sets off with new record in her sights

Ultra-distance runner and º£½ÇÖ±²¥ lecturer Sharon Gayter is attempting to set another record.

Sharon is attempting to run from John O'Groats to Land's End, starting at 7:30am on Sunday 21 July. To set a new record, she is aiming to finish before 11.15pm on Friday 2 August. She said: 'My plan it to try and break 12 days, which was my original plan back in 2006 when I ran it the other way around from Land’s End to John O’Groats.

'On that occasion I ran 12 days 16 hrs 22 minutes bringing the record down from 13 days 10 hours and 1 minute. To achieve my goal I will need to run around 70 miles per day, running for 18 hours per day and having just 3 hours sleep per night.'

A tracker system will be available to follow Sharon’s progress live

Sharon, who is a lecturer in º£½ÇÖ±²¥ Business School and will be raising money for MIND during the run, said: 'I have been planning this for two years and have a great crew involved who will cycle with me and log all the required data for Guinness World Records and collect witness statements.'

She added: 'I am now 55 and although I am much slower in terms of my speed, I have gained much more experience in terms of multi-day racing and the effects of sleep deprivation.'

In preparation Sharon ran a six-day race in Athens earlier this year, breaking two British Vet 55 records for 48 hours and six days.

She added: 'I followed this up with running the Severn Challenge event, a 220 mile run along Britain's longest riverside path from source to the mouth at the Severn Bridge over the late May Bank Holiday.'

Last year Sharon completed ten marathons in ten consecutive days on a treadmill, setting a new world record of 43 hours, 51 minutes and 39 seconds. It was the third world record she has set at º£½ÇÖ±²¥.

In 2011 she broke both the men’s and women’s world records for the most distance covered on a treadmill in seven consecutive days – a record that is yet to be beaten. She also set the record for the furthest distance on a treadmill in 12 hours.

Follow Sharon’s progress on her Facebook and Twitter feeds. More information can be found on Sharon’s