Sara Cox has raised over £7.6 million following a gruelling marathon challenge in the name of Children in Need.
The inspiring Radio 2 DJ presenter completed the 135-mile Great Northern Marathon on Friday after five challenging and emotional days.
Battling agonising blisters across 12-hour days, Cox ran, jogged and walked to Pudsey after starting her journey in Scotland, which is the equivalent of five marathons across five days.
As she kicked off day five, the DJ was visibly emotional, receiving ongoing support from across the country while attempting her impressive feat. Even Prince William shared his support, telling Sara: “massive congratulations for what you are doing. You are so nearly there, just a little bit further.”
Reflecting on her challenge before starting earlier this week, Cox said: “We’re talking 135 miles of hills, moors and blisters – but I am ready for the challenge, and I will absolutely be giving it everything I’ve got.
"When they picked me to get Pudsey to Pudsey, I was honoured & horrified in equal measure.”
"Just like with Vernon and Paddy, I know the brilliant Radio 2 listeners will be with me every step of the way, and their encouragement and support will shove me up every incline and pull me through my toughest moments,” she continued.
Cox is among a growing list of celebrities who have undertaken extraordinary challenges in the name of charity over the past few years.
Here, we take a look at the other stars who have put their body to the test to raise money for a good cause.
David Walliams
David Walliams has undertaken several swimming challenges in the past to raise money for Sport Relief.
First in 2006, David swam across the English Channel, followed by another 19km swim in 2008 across the Strait of Gibraltar.
It was then in 2011 that the comedian and presenter embarked on his biggest task yet: a gruelling 140-mile swim in the River Thames.
Raising money for Sport Relief, Walliams got really sick attempting his feat but managed to complete it by mid-September of that year.
"A bath is the only water I want to see for quite a while," he said following his incredible sporting attempts.
How much did David Walliams raise?
The Little Britain star raised £1m for charity when he swam the channel, and another £1,093,325 when he finished his swim of the River Thames.
Jamie Laing
Earlier this year, former Made in Chelsea star Jamie Laing completed a 150-mile ultramarathon, which took him from London to Manchester across five days of running.
Having never run so far before, the Radio 1 star later opened up about the mental struggle he faced during the enduring run.
"At one point, I thought I was down and out. Mentally I was gone, physically I was broken. I didn't have anything left in me,” he recalled, before adding: "Something pulled me out. The last kilometre was the most euphoric thing I've ever had."
How much did Jamie Laing raise?
Jamie Laing raised more than £2 million for Comic Relief when he completed his 150-mile ultra-marathon challenge.
Spencer Matthews
Fellow former Made in Chelsea star Spencer Matthews set a world record by running 30 marathons in 30 days across the Jordanian desert to raise money for Global’s Make Some Noise.
The TV star raised hundreds of thousands of pounds during the impressive feat, which saw him running on sand and face gruelling desert heat throughout his ordeal.
See also: Spencer Matthews’ daily routine
However, that’s not all. Today, Matthews embarked on his next challenge: completing seven triathlons on seven continents across three weeks.
How much did Spencer Matthews raise?
Spencer raised a total of £500,000 during his record-setting challenge.
Kenny Logan
Kenny Logan has completed numerous charity challenges over the years, raising hundreds of thousands of pounds for various causes, including several in memory of his late former teammate, Doddie Weir, who died in 2022 from motor neuron disease.
In 2023, Logan and a group of celebs embarked on a 700-mile walking and cycling endurance challenge from Murrayfield to Paris in an attempt to raise more than half a million pounds for the My Name'5 Doddie Foundation.
This summer, the rugby star led a 555-mile cycling challenge around Ireland in memory of Doddie, raising yet more money for the foundation.
How much did Kenny Logan raise?
Kenny and his team raised almost £1m in 2023, and a further £557,000 for the Irish Motor Neurone Disease Association and My Name’5 Doddie Foundation with their latest cycle challenge.
Scott Mills
Sara Cox isn’t the only radio star to raise incredible amounts of money for charity, with her colleague Scott Mills also taking on impressive sporting feats in the past.
Scott spent 24 hours walking, dancing, and running on a treadmill to raise money for Children In Need back in 2022.
How much did Scott Mills raise?
Titled the Great Scott TreadMills Challenge, the radio star raised over £1 million.
