Southend-based charity HARP is celebrating another incredible year for their iconic 24-hour endurance race, HARP24. Now in its 12th year, the event brought together over 300 runners, who battled through the weekend’s heat to raise an amazing £50,000 for local people experiencing homelessness.
💪 An Unforgettable Effort
Over the course of 24 hours, runners completed a staggering 1,850 laps of the scenic 8 km Cherry Orchard Park course — that’s a total of 14,800 km!
That’s the distance from Southend-on-Sea to Hawaii – or a third of the way around the Earth!
Among the remarkable achievements:
- Male Solo Winner: Hercules Nicholaou with 24 laps (192 km). Hercules is also the first person to run the entire length of Cyprus (405 km).
- Female Solo Winner: Gemma Kemp (Rayleigh) with 16 laps (128 km).
🏅 Team Winners
Team prizes were awarded to:
- Thomas Moore School
- Westcliff High School for Boys
- Pitsea Laps & Laces
- Stibbards Strollers
To view the full list of winners and participating teams, visit:
👉 mytime.kronosports.uk
🙌 “Thank You” from HARP
Agata Elliott, Director of Fundraising & Communications at HARP, said:
“We are deeply grateful to every runner, supporter, volunteer, and spectator who helped make HARP24 such a resounding success. In the heat we had over the weekend, we couldn’t have done it without their energy, dedication, and enthusiasm which carried us through day and night!”
Special thanks also go to the amazing sponsors:
Ipeco, Stibbards, and Edmunds Design & Construction – whose generous support helped make the event possible.
🌟 About HARP24
HARP24 is open to all – whether you’re an ultra-marathoner, a first-time runner, or even a walker. The goal? Complete as many laps of the 8 km course as you can in 24 hours. This year, a team of HARP staff and service users proudly took part in the challenge.
Every mile counted – and every step helped bring hope and transformation to those facing homelessness in our community.