Sara Cox celebrates £10m for Children In Need with emotional reflections
Sara Cox has raised more than ten million pounds for Children In Need after completing her demanding charity challenge.
The Radio 2 presenter finished her 135-mile Great Northern Marathon Challenge on Friday afternoon in Pudsey, West Yorkshire, bringing her final fundraising total to £10,169,084.
An estimated thirty-five thousand pounds was added by supporters who lined the route, placing donations into buckets as she passed.
Speaking live on the Radio 2 Breakfast Show with Scott Mills today, she said the moment the total was announced left her overwhelmed, adding that she “couldn’t believe it” and that listeners had changed the lives of “so many kids” through their generosity.
The full journey will be shown in a behind-the-scenes BBC One documentary, Sara Cox: Every Step of the Way for Children In Need, airing at 8 p.m. on Wednesday 19 November and available from 6 a.m. on BBC iPlayer. The film follows every stage of her five-marathon feat, capturing the physical and emotional challenges she faced across the week.
Speaking this morning, she admitted the recovery had been far tougher than expected, joking that she had imagined spending the weekend taking her dogs for a gentle walk but “couldn’t really walk at all”.
Cox also laughed about wearing crocs on live television during Friday night’s Children In Need broadcast, explaining that even they were difficult to put on because of swelling in her feet. She compared the exhaustion to the washed-out feeling at the end of flu, saying she had pushed through pain she didn’t fully understand at the time.
She revealed that medics had been checking for stress fractures as her feet swelled, but they had kept their concerns quiet so she could focus on finishing. She said the supporters who appeared on lonely, rainy stretches of the route with handmade signs helped her carry on when conditions were at their bleakest.
Music played a major role in keeping her motivated. She thanked Chase & Status and Stormzy for the track Backbone, which she sang repeatedly during the challenge. She apologised in advance to her children in case her off-key performances appear in Wednesday night’s programme, describing herself as “a mad woman singing along to Blur and all sorts”.
Stormzy surprised her with a personal message during the Breakfast Show, praising her for completing “five more marathons than I’ve done in my life” and calling the challenge “insane”.
Cox said his message meant a great deal to her and that his voice had helped her power through some of the toughest miles.
She also laughed about accidentally greeting Prince William with the phrase “big up your bad self” when he sent a good luck message on Friday, admitting she had been caught off-guard.
She added that she felt “all over the place” emotionally and continued to check in with the physio team who supported her throughout the challenge.
She said their reassurance helped her understand the swelling, pain and pressure she experienced, and that she was relieved she had not realised how serious some of the concerns had been while she was still running.
As she continues to recover, Cox said she may “cry all the way through Wednesday” when the documentary airs, but she remains deeply grateful for the support of listeners and everyone who braved the cold and rain to cheer her on.
She said she could not have completed the challenge without them, calling the experience one of the most demanding and rewarding moments of her career.
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