The first training run with ‘Chappie’, Mark Allison’s new Jogpod was a 13 mile run out to Tynemouth. An overnight stay by the Collingwood statue and guns was followed by a slightly longer route home.
The Collingwood Memorial – from one well travelled son of the North to another.
One of Mark’s hopes for this unsupported approach to the next leg of his around the world run was that the Chappie, his Jogpod, would attract attention, and with it, funding and sponsorship for his chosen charities. He had found on previous legs that running alone to meet a support vehicle parked a few miles up the road made him all but invisible. Conversely, the experience of Rosie Swale-Pope, in her run across America with IceChick, had lead to much media attention from the media and endless offers of help and support from individuals of all kinds.
It was immediately apparent that the branding and quirkiness of the Jogpod was going to pay off and indeed this first training run raised a bonus £70.00 in its own right.
