Alan Parkinson, operations director at National Ventilation, has completed the D-Day 44 Challenge in aid of Combat Stress.
On Thursday 6 June, to commemorate the 80th Anniversary of the D-Day Landings in France, Alan ran 44 miles along the Normandy beaches that formed part of the landings, finishing his ultra marathon at the historic Pegasus Bridge.
Alan finished the run in approximately 11 hours, two days after his 66th birthday. So far Alan has raised £2005 for the charity Combat Stress. For over a century, the charity has helped former servicemen and women with mental health issues such as post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety and depression.
Working at National Ventilation for almost a decade, Alan coordinates the ventilation company’s logistics and distribution. The company is proud to support Alan in his charity runs. This year, the 44-mile route started at the Pointe du Hoc and continued along the cliff top overlooking Omaha beach hugging the coastline to its destination point Pegasus Beach.
Alan was determined to complete the D-Day 44 Challenge on this historic 80th anniversary to honour the men and women who served while raising vital funds for Combat Stress. At one point, Alan could have comfortably finished the challenging run well within the 12-hour cut-off. But, one member of his small running group developed a foot injury around 10 miles from the finish. The organisers suggested pulling him out of the run, but another runner and Alan decided to stay with him and see him home.
To donate to Alan Parkinson’s fundraising visit:
https://events.combatstress.org.uk/fundraisers/alanparkinson/dday44challenge
01823 690 290 / www.nationalventilation.co.uk
