Search

RUN247 / Running News / Help Hardy, help Aggie

Help Hardy, help Aggie

Published on

Inspired by a 12-year-old schoolgirl named Aggie Candy-Waters, extreme athlete Darren Hardy is planning one of his toughest challenges yet, to run 5 marathons, nonstop, in 50 hours. Can you help Hardy, help Aggie?

During his 5 in 50 challenge Darren will run continuously without sleeping, carrying everything he needs in an Osprey backpack from his nutrition provided by Resilient Nutrition to water, wet kit, warm kit and first aid kit.

The 35-year-old former soldier and father of two who lives in Fleet, will start his challenge from Poole at 8am on Friday 9th April and run south along the coast as far as Abbotsbury, west of Weymouth, before turning back to Poole.

Darren was inspired to take on the challenge when he heard about a British schoolgirl, Aggie Candy-Waters, who was diagnosed with the world’s rarest disease at the age of five. Now 12 years old, Aggie who used to run, play and sing is permanently in a wheelchair and is rapidly losing her fine motor skills – meaning she is fed, dressed and carried by her parents, and is losing her ability to speak. 

Aggie and Darren

“My daughters are two and four and enjoying all the things I know Aggie used to. I can’t imagine the absolute heartbreak that Aggie’s parents will have gone through learning their beautiful, happy girl was going to decline in this way,” explained Hardy. “I immediately got in touch and asked how I could help. It was then that I learned that we could race against time to reach their £1m target to get new life-saving gene therapy developed at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia for not only Aggie, but for two more young children called Frankie, age five and Sofia, nine. This was when I came up with the idea of running five marathons in 50 hours, with every penny going towards gene therapy treatment for children with H-ABC; 5in50!”

There are 200 children in the world like Aggie and most are diagnosed around the age of three or four, when their parents notice that their development is slower than other children of their age. 

Ali Candy-Waters, Aggie’s mum, said: “H-ABC is the world’s rarest brain disease. People simply haven’t heard of it, so in our darkest moments we wonder if we can ever get to our £1m target in time. Then we hear from someone like Darren, and we feel like there could be a chance.”

Darren, a double gold medallist and Warrior Games record breaker completed numerous extreme sports challenges for charity in 2020, raising £24,000. 5in50 is up there with the toughest. “I’m preparing for the run by getting up at 4:20 every day at home and hitting the hills, as well as strength work in my home gym” explained Darren. “I’m calling on my sleep deprivation training from the military to help me keep awake, and the energy provided from Resilient Nutrition.”

Darren would also like to thank Resilient Nutrition and Osprey for their support in making this challenge possible.

To support Darren and help Aggie, donate to this valuable cause, visit www.justgiving.com/fundraising/darren-hardy123

Written by
Andy Tomlinson

Latest Running News

TCS London Marathon Tower Bridge
London Marathon 2025: Shane McGuigan to honour sister Danika following dad Barry’s emotional ‘I’m A Celeb’ address
Chancellor Jeremy Hunt finishes 2024 London Marathon photo credit TCS London Marathon
London Marathon 2025: Politicans on the run as 17 MPs look for PBs
Russ Cook completes his epic run across the entire length of Africa [Photo credit: The Snapshot People Ltd]
‘Hardest Geezer’ lives up to nickname with 100km PB run amid gruelling endurance challenge
Jacob Kiplimo new world record Barcelona Half Marathon 2025 credit: eDreams Mitja Marató de Barcelona by Brooks
London Marathon 2025: Start time, how to watch live and a preview of INCREDIBLE elite fields
TCS London Marathon 2024 finishers
90,000 runners and 2.3 million miles – Why Sunday 27 April will make UK running history
trail running on your terms

Never miss out with our trail alerts & digest. Get a dose of adventure & inspiration with Boundless.

The 247 Group

The home of endurance sports

Share to...