On Monday July 31, MEMS Priestfield Stadium will play host to five runners as they start a 162-mile charity run between football clubs across the country.
The five runners, who are all local Royal Engineers from the 36 Engineer Regiment in Maidstone, will be running for five consecutive days, starting from Gillingham FC and travelling between West Ham United, Luton Town, Northampton Town, and Leicester City, before finishing at Pride Park Stadium, the home of Derby County FC. The group will be travelling an average of 32 miles per day.
The run is being completed in aid of Prostate Cancer UK and the Army Benevolent Fund, with all fundraising being split equally between the two charities.
Prostate Cancer UK, an official charity partner of the EFL, fights to help more men survive prostate cancer and enjoy a better quality of life, as well as raising vital awareness of the disease that affects 1 in 8 men. The Army Benevolent Fund, 'The Soldiers' Charity', helps and supports soldiers, veterans and families from the armed forces.
The charities are close to the group's hearts. "A member of my wife's family has prostate cancer," explained run organiser Daniel Tompkin, "and as members of the army, the Army Benevolent Fund has done a lot to look after all of our families.
"I'm a massive football fan, and I live locally to Gillingham, which is why we wanted to start our run at Priestfield Stadium."
The Gills look forward to setting the group off on their run, and wish them all the best in completing the challenge.
If you'd like to support the run, and help the group reach their £2,500 target, you can donate here.