She’s done it!! 🥰
WORD ASSOCIATION - 9th May 2026
Just a shout out to say what an amazing thing Sara is doing for BBC Children in Need, an ultra marathon from the Scottish Borders, over the Pennines and Dales to Pudsey in Yorkshire. The weather is atrocious, but she is battling on, now on Day 3. She has already raised over £1m from Radio 2 listeners donations. How many people could do such a physically and mentally challenging feat, at 50, well done her.
She’s done it!! 🥰
I was listening too - in the words of one of the commentators - Sara Cox, you rock! What an outstanding feat.
I am going to hide behind my sofa after posting this!
It is wonderful that Sara Cox is raising so much money for a worthy cause, but why couldn’t she have done something useful, like litter picking or helping elderly /disabled people, with lots of publicity, instead?
I once refused to sponsor a friend who was doing a tandem parachute jump for charity and my son’s friend and his Dad asked for sponsorship for a charity bicycle ride round Europe.
The best way of giving to charity involves Giftaid.
Dilema I doubt very much if she would have raised over £6,000,000 by picking litter, helping the elderly and/or disabled.
If you donate via the BBC website I think you can Gift Aid your donation.
In an ideal world brave people like Sara Cox wouldn’t have to run 5 marathons in 5 days in what has been horrendous weather conditions. Unfortunately our world isn’t ideal and if it wasn’t for people like Sara, doing things like this there would be thousands and thousands of children here and abroad suffering more, without access to healthcare, social activities and education…
Quite simply, because it would not have captured the public imagination in the same way Dilemma. She has done something extraordinary, and Children in Need has benefitted hugely from her obvious struggles to push on against the odds.
Litter picking etc doesn't capture the imagination or get anyone interested or excited. Don't hide behind the sofa, make a donation to Sara Cox' fantastic achievement.
I’m watching the Sara live interview with Scott Mills , and am in awe of this amazing inspiring lady . She looks and sounds quite different from her polished broadcasting image and is beautiful in her completely natural non performing exhausted state . £7.6 million and counting . Have a good rest Sara .
True Lancashire grit.
Well done lass. 👏👏
I don't like these extreme challenges using women; (there may be men as well but I cannot recall details.)
I remember Davina McCall and Alex Jones; there may be others.
I admire their efforts but don't like to see them suffering in order to raise money; the charity gives many examples of how the money is spent and it all seems to good purpose.
Vernon Kaye, Scott Mills, Paddy McGuinness, Welsh BBC weather man Owain Wyn Evans all male have done endurance challenges for Children in Need.
I admire anyone taking on the role of BBC fund raiser for Pudsey 👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏
So inspirational and a worthy cause. Well done Sara.
eazybee
I don't like these extreme challenges using women; (there may be men as well but I cannot recall details.)
I remember Davina McCall and Alex Jones; there may be others.
I admire their efforts but don't like to see them suffering in order to raise money; the charity gives many examples of how the money is spent and it all seems to good purpose.
Lots of men have done very similar challenges for CiN too! Personally I think they all deserve credit for their achievements.
For charities these challenges raise a great deal of money and the participants also get a lot out of it too. Daughter has been a medic on treks up Kilimanjaro and Mt Toubkal, she's also trekked across the Sahara and the Icelandic Tundra etc. These challenges all require a lot of effort and occasionally she's had to tell someone that they are not fit to continue and they are always devastated. The women do as well as the men, often better and no one gets through these challenges without quite a lot of pain. They are not for the faint hearted but the faint hearted don't tend to want to do them, fortunately!
I haven’t been following this story but had the radio on driving home this afternoon as Sara Cox was completing the last half mile. It was lovely hearing the crowds cheering her on and chanting “Sarah, Sarah.” She did well.
Irrespective almost of the astonishing amount of money Sara Cox has raised, I think her legacy may be even more than she realises. I feel she has shown us what can be achieved through sheer grit and determination. For us to witness how much pain she has been struggling with and yet to see her carrying on regardless has been nothing short of inspirational.
Moth62 absolutely.
I think a gruelling endurance challenge like Sarah's deserves support. Thank goodness some celebrities do these things, they raise a phenomenal amount of money and awareness. Well done and thank you Sarah Cox.
First of all, well done to Sara Cox for raising a phenomenal amount of money for Children in Need. I feel like some others on GN feel though, she has put her body through a huge amount of stress and pain - I don’t agree with doing that. Just one marathon would have been enough physical stress on the body, let alone five marathons, every day for 5 consecutive days. She must have started days 2, 3, 4 and 5 aching like crazy and maybe with blisters - aches and pains, at the very least. I know she will have trained for it, but it’s been crazy. It could have made Sara Cox very ill. At 50, she’s not old, but not young either. I truly admire her, but I think it’s been too much. Sara herself may disagree with me though! The challenges seem to have got harder year by year. Having said all that, I don’t know what other activity could have raised that amount of money. The Government don’t put enough money into hospices, facilities for very sick children and support for the families etc etc, which is a sad reflection on the state of this country.
Honeyrose Harry Hunter completed the Marathon Des Sables across the Sahara desert in 2024 aged 76. This is 250k (equal to more than 5 marathons) on sand, up and down dunes in high temperatures during the day, carrying his own food and sleeping under canvas in basic tents with minimum facilities. I think people under estimate what people are capable of when they put their mind to it.
Daffonanna
I’m watching the Sara live interview with Scott Mills , and am in awe of this amazing inspiring lady . She looks and sounds quite different from her polished broadcasting image and is beautiful in her completely natural non performing exhausted state . £7.6 million and counting . Have a good rest Sara .
Brilliant!
Well done Sara.
I think she’s been absolutely amazing.
Well done Sara - inspiring!
Dilemma
I am going to hide behind my sofa after posting this!
It is wonderful that Sara Cox is raising so much money for a worthy cause, but why couldn’t she have done something useful, like litter picking or helping elderly /disabled people, with lots of publicity, instead?
I once refused to sponsor a friend who was doing a tandem parachute jump for charity and my son’s friend and his Dad asked for sponsorship for a charity bicycle ride round Europe.
The best way of giving to charity involves Giftaid.
She would have raised a few quid...no one would have been interested
eazybee
I don't like these extreme challenges using women; (there may be men as well but I cannot recall details.)
I remember Davina McCall and Alex Jones; there may be others.
I admire their efforts but don't like to see them suffering in order to raise money; the charity gives many examples of how the money is spent and it all seems to good purpose.
A nice bath...a good night's sleep and she will be fine
The best way of giving to charity involves Giftaid.^
You can Giftaid your donation.
I presume you're a local volunteer litterpicjer and I do think you hae a point. People I know so this but don't do it to raise money for charity.
Personally, I think litterers should be found and made to litter-pick for a few weeks.
I think she Sarah has achieved an amazing feat. I am full of admiration.
I agree these projects and hospices should be funded by the government but they aren’t and it is down to the Sarah Coxes of this world to help provide the care needed.
In no way can it be distasteful.
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