Firefighters Jay Taylor and Robyn Foster have successfully completed the 420-mile FireCallRun, running to every fire station in North Yorkshire over 14 gruelling days – and raising over £8,000 for two life-changing causes.
Beginning at Richmond Fire Station — Jay’s base — on Sunday, May 18, Jay and Robyn set out on their ambitious route, covering an average of 30 miles a day.
Their journey took them through towns and villages across the county, with key stops in Northallerton, Scarborough, York, Skipton, Harrogate, and Whitby before their final steps brought them full circle.
The challenge wasn’t without hardship.
“I’m completely fatigued,” said Robyn.
“We didn’t realise how big a challenge it was going to be. We knew it was going to be tough, but it was mammoth.
“We both suffered injuries to the tendons in the front of our feet from so much running, so had to swallow our pride a bit and get on the bike—which was just as hard with all the hills we encountered going through the Dales.”
Jay added: “I don’t think I’ll be doing any running for the next few weeks.
“But the support we received was unbelievable. The fire chief, Jonathan Dyson, joined us in Lythe and ran to Whitby with us, as well as firefighters from various stations joining us for parts of the fortnight.
“We have to say a massive thank you to the support team, mostly made up from Richmond Fire Station, and our partners. We didn’t have to do any thinking for ourselves — we just had to run. They were absolutely fantastic.”
The pair were inspired to take on the challenge to raise funds and awareness for two organisations close to their hearts.
“The Firefighters Charity provides vital support to colleagues and friends facing physical and mental health challenges, even helping one friend create precious family memories during terminal illness,” said Jay.
“As a veteran of the Princess of Wales’s Royal Regiment, I’ve seen the struggles many face when leaving the military. VTRN Reset is doing incredible work to address this, and I’m proud to support their efforts.”
With £8,000 already raised, they’re keeping their fundraising page open for a couple more weeks in the hopes of reaching a £10,000 target. “We’re so happy with what we’ve raised,” said Robyn, “but we’d love to push on and hit that big milestone!”
The pair are already throwing around ideas for another challenge, so watch this space!
You can still support Jay and Robyn’s effort through their JustGiving page:
https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/james-taylor-834
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