Former Chorister to Undertake the Toughest Footrace in the World

Former Chorister to undertake the Toughest footrace in the World.

Former Cathedral chorister and verger Rob Jackson is to undertake the notorious Marathon de Sables in March/ April next year. The race incorporates day and night running through the Sahara desert over six days. In the space of six days, Rob will have to run the equivalent of just over five and a half marathons at temperatures exceeding 120 degrees Fahrenheit, indeed he will celebrate his 37th birthday on day two of the event. One of the stages involves running 75km (approx 54 miles) with an initial climb of 1000 feet and in the dark. As well as the challenge of the distance, and being physically drained by the softness of the sand, the hot dry air and the 150 metre high sand dunes, each runner also needs to carry all their food and equipment for the duration of the race which includes an anti-venom pump, to be used if bitten by a desert nasty!

“I am anticipating losing approximately one stone during the week which given the fact that I currently weigh in at approx 10 stone could be interesting. I am also likely to suffer with terrible blisters and previous racers have been known to lose pretty much all their toes nails!!

I am doing the run to raise money for Marie Curie Cancer care which is a charity I have supported before.

I hope that my association with the cathedral of just over twenty five years will allow me to appeal to as many people as possible to sponsor me. In those twenty five years I have come into contact with some of the great characters of the cathedral.

As a boy chorister I was fortunate enough to make it into the tail end of Ronnie Woans’ time as choir master before Ian Tracey took over in 1982. I was one of Ian’s’ probationers and later one of his alto layclerks. I also spent five years working with the Vergers department who I joined straight from school. During this time I was able to include as my friends and colleagues Ken Joplin, Ken Hughes, Arthur Dumkow and Geoff Rimmer to name but a few. These times spent with cathedral people helped to shape me into the person I am today and for that I am extremely grateful.

I still count amongst my friends several people from the cathedral and indeed Ken Joplin is my daughter Caras’ godfather.

My singing now consists of occasional services with St Annes Stanley who are led by former chorister Geoff Williams and the occasional concert with Close Harmony.

Dean Walters and Canon Huw Thomas were pivotal in the next phase of my life which saw me leave the cathedral. They were of the opinion that I could achieve more than a career with the Vergers department and despite my protests encouraged me to look to further education and make a move away from the cathedral. Although I felt devastated at the time they did me a huge favour and one that I was able to thank them for a few years later.

For the last 11 years I have worked at the Royal Liverpool University hospital Accident and Emergency department and for the past three years I have been employed as a Nurse Clinician working alongside the Doctors seeing patients who present to the A and E department with their various conditions and predicaments. This has not left me a lot of time to play an active role at the cathedral although I have remained a member of Close Harmony.

I had previously only run six races in my life, the Great North run, the Snowdonia marathon and in May the Edinburgh marathon, the Isle of Man marathon in August, the Anglesey marathon in September, the Loch Ness in October. I am also considering entering the Round Rotherham race which is a non-stop fifty mile race around the fields and surrounding hills of Rotherham in December.

I would be grateful if any members of the cathedral company whether past or present would take the time to sponsor me so that I can raise as much as possible for the charity. It costs 11,000 pounds a day to run a hospice and they are indebted to charity to make ends meet.

I can be sponsored at justgiving.com where I have a home page.

Just sign in and enter my name (Robert Jackson) and then follow the instructions for sponsorship. Alternatively you can sponsor me on a sponsorship form which can be found at the back of the cathedral on the notice board.

Many thanks in anticipation

Rob Jackson