Account from Vice President of Expedition, Ted:

Hiking in teams for 24 hours straight on the Cornish coast path was never going to be an easy task, yet despite this, 24 students took on the challenge, with the fastest team even making 54.5 miles in this period. Everyone that took part put their all into raising over £1.6k for ManDown, a Cornwall-founded charity working hard to raise awareness around men’s mental health and suicide prevention.

The teams assembled in St. Ives, officially commencing the 24-hour expedition at 12:33pm on Saturday March 29th. This wasn’t any old Saturday we started on, as daylight savings was taking place overnight, meaning that the coastal jaunt would last until 13:33 on Sunday!

President of Expedition, Russell Brown, describes the first 12 hours before I arrived:

“We started with a train from Penryn/Falmouth, the sun was shining, and everyone’s motivation was high. Soon things would change though, as after a couple of hours the weather started turning, not proper rain but like walking through a cloud.

We were soaked, but fortunately a motivation boost was ahead thanks to Charles from the Gurnard’s Head pub. There, we enjoyed Appletizers and some would say the best sausage rolls out there! Our first pit-stop wasn’t far off either, with Beren, Immy and Ella waiting with the car to resupply water and food.

After this boost we set off for Pendeen Watch. There, we lost light and gained fog, but soon the beam of light (and hope) from Pendeen Lighthouse appeared. We once again rejoined the car and its supplies and here 4 walkers dropped out. Due to decreasing numbers, we decided to combine the two slower groups, helping to boost morale.

At about 8pm we turned inland to Pendeen due to the risks of open mineshafts ahead, which combined with the fog would’ve been a real danger. We joined up with the coast path later, a couple of miles before Cape Cornwall”.

(Back to Ted’s perspective)

Originally supporting the pit-stop crew, I set off to connect with the hikers at 11pm, with Beren at the wheel! A heavy fog cloaked the beginning of our journey (as it also did for the walkers!) but it soon lifted. We arrived at an atmospheric Lands End at midnight to retrieve Nathan, before scuttling along to Cape Cornwall, where we picked up Maddi, Alex and Naomi. From there, we set off to meet Group 2 for a much-deserved 2am break at Gwynver beach, near Sennen!

Being a hungry hiker is no fun, so we stocked up on essentials to keep the troops fuelled, including water, fruit, flapjacks and of course tea. With our portable stove, Finley was able to boil water, and mugs of tea were enjoyed under the stars!

After the pit-stop, one of the group stopped following an injury, and to ensure they had a space in the car, I tapped into the hike for the second half! Donning a head-torch, we set off into the darkness. Hiking along the coast at nighttime is an oddly peaceful experience - it feels like the world relaxes into a tranquil pause, with a soundtrack of wind, waves and the occasional nocturnal creature. It was equally calming and thrilling to be out roaming the peninsula at night, it’s a completely different experience to in the daylight, but well worth the experience. Daybreak was commencing however by the time we reached Porthgwarra around 6am. It was a welcome treat to hear nature reawaken and see sunshine finally return to the coast!

At the same time, around 7 miles ahead in Lamorna, the third pit-stop team, comprised of Millie and Ellie, met the first group of hikers. Plenty of croissants made for the perfect early morning fuel. There, a number of the group finished their journey, most achieving a very impressive 33.8 miles in total! Jem and Dan Birch continued on, as well as myself and the remainder of the group behind.

Rambling through Porthcurno as Sunday embraced its full form was beautiful, as was the sunrise over Pedny Vounder beach. A brave diver also made the most of the morning in Penberth, where we replenished our energy with Russell’s comically large stash of dry roasted peanuts!

The sun was fully out by the time we meandered around the rocky St. Loy’s Cove. Russell and I clambered up the rock-platforms, taking in the views of the coast that the two groups had spent the last 20.5 hours navigating.

Mark and Blythe, now slightly behind us, were greeted by Ellie and Millie for a final pit-stop at Lamorna, before powering onto their last destination of Mousehole! Meanwhile, Russell and I contiuned to Penzance, aiming to get there before the time ran out! 13:33 hit just as we arrived at the bus stop, and the 24-hour hike was complete!

I am immensely proud of everyone who was involved with this event, the pit-stop crews, incredible drivers and of course, the hikers who threw themselves whole heartedly at this challenge for Man Down. Thanks to all who have donated, and to Charles from The Gurnard’s Head pub for helping us with tasty snacks! I look forward to sharing the final figure for the event soon.

Pit-stop crew and drivers: Immy Holt, Ella Richmond-Pearson, Beren Carne-Brooks, Finley Shail, Millie Tams, Ellie Whomsley-Walker

Hikers: Kate Seymour, Hannah Metcalfe, Stella Craft, Archie Potter, Robyn Thompson, Joseph Whalley, Maddi Thompson, Alex Bishop, Naomi Finn, Nathan Gaskell, Anya Welsh, Sophie Crossley-Hardeman, Lauri Thompson, Chris Hitchens, Daniel Gamble, Owen Davies, Geo McCarthy, Mark Pollak, Blythe Holmes, Russell Brown, Jem Turner and Dan Birch