Long road ahead for duo in car pull along Vazon
TWO determined islanders will be completing a marathon today while dragging a one-tonne car behind them to raise money for the charity This is Epic.
Warren Mauger and Philip Smith will be pulling the Fiat 500, donated by Le Mont Saint Garage, up and down the coast road at Vazon 13 times to clock up the full 26.2-mile distance.
They were due to start their challenge at 6am and it is expected to take about nine hours. Today will be the first time they have completed the length of the road with the car in tow.
‘Bizarrely, I’m not really worried. Even when you’re [training for] running a marathon you don’t do the full thing, you do about 20 or so miles,’ said Mr Mauger.
‘It looks like it’s flat when you look at it, but it isn’t. Even if there’s a 1% gradient you are literally pulling the car uphill,’ said Mr Smith. ‘We have no idea how hard it is going to be.’
The pair have been preparing for the challenge through regular gym sessions and dragging a prowler, also known as a sled push, to imitate the weight of the car.
‘It’s a bit different because it’s a dead weight. The car is on wheels, so it isn’t a dead weight,’ said Mr Mauger.
In September they pulled the prowler for more than 62 hours over the month, with the longest stretch being 4.5 hours.
More than £10,000 has been raised in the lead-up to the event and it is hoped that £80,000 will be raised for the charity if all tickets to win the car are sold.
Spectators can ‘help’ by sitting in the car for a one-mile stretch if they spend £100 or more on tickets.
These can be purchased from gazebos that will be set up at Vazon.
