Highwood’s marathon man raises over £80,000 for charity close to his heart 

Anthony Rouse, Commercial Director at Highwood, has completed an extraordinary endurance challenge in support of a charity he has been involved with for more than 15 years, raising over £80,000 in the process for HCPT Group 170. 

What began as a plan to run the London Marathon in 2021 to raise funds and awareness for HCPT has grown into something far bigger. The charity organises supported pilgrimage trips to Lourdes in southern France for disabled or disadvantaged children and vulnerable adults from the UK and further afield. 

Each year, thousands of children, many with complex or life-limiting conditions, travel in small, family-style groups accompanied by trained volunteers and medical professionals. Alongside a week of activities, care and fun, the trips also provide much-needed respite for families. With the cost of sending one child just over £1,000, Anthony’s fundraising has already helped many children take part in this life-changing experience. 

To maximise his impact, Anthony set himself the formidable challenge of completing 12 marathons in 12 months. 

His first marathon was the Running GP at Goodwood in February, following an injury. He followed that with a marathon route around Southampton, the ABP Southampton Marathon, the TCS London Marathon, the Richmond Park Marathon, another Southampton route, 88 laps of the Southampton Athletics Track sandwiched between runs, the New Forest Marathon, 104 laps of the Southampton Athletics Track, a marathon run to Mudeford Beach and a third Southampton marathon route. 

On 7 December, back where it all began at the Goodwood Running GP, Anthony crossed the finish line of his 12th and final marathon. Over the course of the year he covered 1030 miles, raising more than £13,000 for this challenge alone and bringing his overall fundraising total close to £100,000.