Wonder Women complete London to Cambridge Ultra Challenge in under 10 hours

Singing and laughing has helped five East Cambridgeshire supermums complete a gruelling 50km trek through the Hertfordshire and Cambridgeshire countryside, escaping with just one blister each.

Team Wonder Women were among 1000 adventurers walking, jogging or running in the London to Cambridge Ultra Challenge on Saturday to raise money for several good causes.
The team was made up of Annabel Line (mum to William, eight, and Martha, five), Liz Wright (mum to Emily, 14, Daisy, 11, Poppy, eight, and Toby, five) and Alex Peake (mum to Lenny, 12, Willem, nine, and Caspar, five), from Ely. Also participating were Lisa Porter (mum to Thea, 15, Beau, 11, and Finn, eight), from Witchford, and Anthea Lowes (mum to Susie, 11, and Felicity, six), from Wentworth.

The team set off from Braughing in Hertfordshire at 9am, tramping through the villages of Little Hormead and Elmdon before crossing the M11. They continued through Ickleton, Duxford, Sawston, Stapleford and Shelford before arriving into Cambridge via Addenbrookes and the historic backs. They crossed the finish line at the University sports ground on Wilberforce Road after nine hours and 50 minutes, finishing 32^nd overall.

Annabel and Lisa are fundraising for Macmillan Cancer Support and Anthea’s chosen charity is the Royal Marsden Cancer Charity.
Liz is raising money for The Red Hen Project, which she is the project manager for. The Red Hen Project is a small, local charity supporting vulnerable families in a deprived area of Cambridge. Liz is hoping to raise enough cash to take families on two summer trips during the coming summer holidays.
Months of training had paid off for the team, who completed the long distance walk injury free (minus the obligatory blister each!) – despite it being their first ever Ultra Challenge.
Liz said: “The weather was kind, sunny but not too hot, with the occasional light shower, which was really refreshing.
“The Hertfordshire side was quite hilly, and quite off road, crossing through lots of fields, trying to identify crops, and choosing our dream houses, complete with swimming pools and tennis courts. The Cambridgeshire side was more flat, and more urban, passing through lots of villages, and into Cambridge via Addenbrookes, Newnham, Lammas Land, and the Backs.”
Highlights included “amazing” snacks and drinks at the rest points and the “hugely helpful, friendly and supportive” Ultra Challenge volunteers.
“We laughed and sang most of our way through the day.”
Despite eating “too much pot noodle at the middle point” and missing their third rest stop, the team kept their spirits up until the end.
Arriving in Cambridge, Team Wonder Women were greeted with friends and family at the finish line.
They toasted their victory with glasses of bubbly (and in Liz’s case, a veggie burger!), and were awarded medals and t-shirts.

Liz said: “We celebrated by putting on our flip flops and enjoying the barbecue courtesy of Ultra Challenge, a hot cup of tea, and a delicious home-made carrot cake, baked by Anthea’s friend Sophie. It was an exhilarating feeling!”
The mother-of-four praised the organisers and volunteers behind Ultra Challenge and said everyone who took part was friendly and encouraging.
“We’d definitely all do it again.”
 
Sponsorship links:
Annabel – Macmillan https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/Annabel-Line1
Liz – The Red Hen Project http://www.redhenproject.com/Donation-page.html
Lisa – Macmillan https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/Lisa-Porter7?utm_source=Facebook
Anthea – Royal Marsden Cancer Charity – https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/Anthea-Lowes1?utm_source=Facebook&utm_medium=fundraisingpage&utm_content=Anthea-Lowes1&utm_campaign=pfp-share