Scotland has among the highest mortality rates in Europe for some of the worst health problems imaginable, and the shockingly low life expectancy here in Glasgow cannot be explained merely by poverty or even by bad behaviour alone, it seems, with epidemiologists today still dubbing the mysterious underlying phenomenon at the root of the cause “The Glasgow Effect“.
Or to put that in simpler terms… “dinnae ken”.
But now it looks as though this great land of “deep fried anything” has surprisingly helped to give birth to a global fitness challenge – one which is helping people to fight back against ill-health, and change the exercise habits of a lifetime, through engaging us in consistent levels of physical activity that go way beyond anything we might have tried before.
The name of this Scottish-born fitness movement suddenly spreading like wildfire across the world is the 5×50 Challenge… and it dares you to walk, jog, run or cycle 5km for 50 days in a row… starting on Sunday 30th March 2014.
“I bet some of you are surprised at how hard it actually is.” Cautions Simon Murrison, head of his own accountancy firm in the centre of Glasgow, by day, and project manager of the 5×50 Challenge in his spare time.
“When someone scoffs to me ’5km per day that can’t be too difficult I will give that a go’ they probably haven’t thought about the side effects of the Challenge. It is true 5km every now and again can’t be too difficult but doing it every day, now that is a different story altogether. You don’t realise the recovery time your body needs every day or the mental strength to beat those demons saying ‘nobody will know if I miss one day’.”
The inaugural 5×50 Challenge, which took place in 2012, attracted over 5,000 participants from 43 countries. So far, the movement has raised in excess of £160,000 for numerous charities including Sport Relief. Now in its third reawakening, 2014 looks set to herald the Challenge’s biggest and most successful year yet, with more than 700 people already signed-up to take part, at this early stage.
It got me off my fat lazy bottom…
Proud of myself for ripping up the rubbish excuses I used to use to avoid exercise…
I got back on a bike for the first time in 30 years…
It’s meant I have spent quality time cycling with my 80 year old mother and my 9 year old daughter…
I have a sense of achievement everyday…
These are just a few of the things that past ‘fivers’ have had to say about the power of participating in the 5×50 Challenge to help them change the fitness habits of a lifetime and unleash amazing levels of willpower which they had perhaps long since possessed deep inside but didn’t know it.
“The core team of the 5×50 Challenge are not superhuman fit people either,” adds Ray Wallace, in reassuring tone, one of the founding members who helped to create the Challenge, and a retained fire fighter married with three children who lives all the way up in Glen Affric, in the Scottish Highlands, “we are just like most of the others taking part across Scotland and around the world, ordinary people with ordinary jobs and living normal lives - we certainly struggle at times, also.”
This is a message quickly reiterated by the oldest member of the 5×50 Challenge core team - in body if not in mind - Mark Houston, a business advisor with Glasgow City Council, and a man who admits that he only started running to keep fit on a full-time basis as a direct result of taking part in the inaugural 5×50 Challenge back in 2012, while in his 46th year.
“I started running as a result of taking part in the 5×50 when I was 45 and admit to being a little concerned at what some people might think. As this middle aged bloke puffs and pants his was past dressed in tight fitting lycra, it wasn’t a good image, I can tell you, but it didn’t let that stop me, mainly because I didn’t feel that old.” Explains Houston, with a big giant smile on his face.
“But is it easier for someone in their twenties to go out each day to complete their 5×50 activity rather than someone in their forties, fifties or sixties?” He begins to ponder. “Or is the determination of someone in his forties or fifties stronger than that of a twenty year old? What wins, strength of mind or strength of body when it comes to completing something like the 5×50 Challenge? Does it matter when you start? Nothing will stop us getting older of course but keeping active WILL make you feel healthy, happy and young at heart! It’ll be interesting to see how many veterans complete the 5×50 Challenge this year compared to our younger Challengers. I have my own thoughts on that one.”
Indeed, only time will tell.
Joining the challenge this year is easy whether you would like to attach yourself an existing team as an individual, and meet some new people, or set up your own team from scratch within your family, community or at work.
The registration fee is a minimum donation of £5, of which 75% will go to Sport Relief.
After registration and making the initial donation of £5 you are completely free to raise additional funds in your own way for Sport Relief, any other charity of your choice, or you can decide to take part just for the fun of it!
So, Glasgow, Scotland, rest of the world… the challenge is to walk, jog, run or cycle 5km for 50 days in a row, starting on Sunday 30th March 2014, and change the fitness habits of a lifetime, while raising money for charity in the process, if you so choose.
Click here to visit the 5×50 Challenge website and register today - if you think that you’ve got what it takes.
“What a long way we have come since Raymond Wallace and I first started what has evolved to become the 5×50 Challenge, back in 2011.” Concludes core team member, Kelly Mason. “Little did we know then that our extended Marcothon would turn out to be the fabulous, worldwide community that is the 5×50 Challenge today. To those of you returning to the Challenge in 2014, a huge welcome back and to those of you contemplating it for the first time… I promise you won’t regret hitting the ‘Join Challenge’ button. 5×50 has changed my life and it can change yours too, come and dive in!”
If you have any questions about the 5×50 Challenge then please let us know in the comments. We’ll relay these to the core team and get back to you by reply.
The 5×50 Challenge is Registered in Scotland: SC425530 with Charity Number: SC043921
Fraser Boag says
I think I’m going to have to give this a try! I currently run 5k three times a week and it’s not particularly taxing, but I fully expect that doing it every single day would be an awful lot harder.
Paul says
Nice one, Fraser. Go team GOG! :-)
Sounds like a challenge, though think I will be mostly walking but at least the nights are a wee bit lighter
Paul Robb says
Hi Kate, Yeh - the nights should be a bit more pleasant come 30th March!
Great to see this has sparked some of you guys getting involved (Mark, 5×50 Core team)