RAC patrolman Lee Wingate’s emotional finish after setting quirky new world endurance record

RAC patrolman Lee Wingate has become the first person to ever to complete an unaided run from John O’Groats to Land’s End.

Having been completely self-sufficient for 25 days, and after two previous unsuccessful attempts, Lee threw his arms around the famous signpost at the tip of Cornwall and broke down in tears after finishing.

Behind him was an 860-mile challenge during which he battled scorching heat in Scotland, his namesake ‘Storm Lee’, sleepless nights, excruciating blistering and also being stopped several times by police, including those suspecting him of running away with a baby and even a wheelbarrow!

His wife Tasha and his children were waiting for him at Land’s End for an emotional reunion.

To qualify as being 100 per cent unsupported, Lee had to remain entirely alone from beginning to end.

He could not accept any help whatsoever and had to rely on his own resources, carrying everything he needed in a home-made ‘pram’ his family called ‘Frankie’, after the Frankenstein monster.

This included all food and drink to keep him going, and the equipment needed for wild camping and unforeseen breakdowns.

In an added challenge, he also had to rely on collecting all the water he needed from natural resources along the way such as rivers and streams.

“I had to carefully plan every aspect and every single section of the journey – and it all had to be exactly right,” Lee said.

“However, when you tackle endurance or multi-day challenges like this, it becomes more about the mental strength than physical.

"If you aren’t mentally in the right place, it makes everything more difficult and every problem bigger than it actually is.

"It’s always easy to talk yourself out of finishing something – that’s the easy route.”

As part of his training for the event, he 144 miles from Portsmouth to the RAC’s HQ at Walsall in three days and 15 minutes at the end of May, setting a new world record.

"It was good practice for the state of mind needed for such a long challenge and tested the pram, too, so I could iron out any problems,” remarked Lee.

He continued: “There were highs and lows, but I was mentally and physically prepared for it.

“By far the hardest part of all, though, was desperately missing my family. And having only ration packs to eat, it was getting more and more difficult running through towns and villages and smelling food like fish and chips and chicken cooking.

“I’m really looking forward to eating a sausage sandwich and some cheesy chips now.”

Lee dedicated his JOGLE challenge to his grandfather, who was a Royal Marines Commando. And through his fundraising page, he has raised in excess of £2,500 (including gift aid) for RMA, The Royal Marines Charity.