Martin Blake Raises £715 for HARP After Tough 24 Hour Southend Challenge

Martin Blake and his team completed HARP24 and raised £715 for HARP, Southend’s homeless charity.

For the 24 hours from Saturday 27 June to Sunday 28 June 2026 they worked hard for every penny on a day where the heat was up to 30 degrees!

HARP24 is a 24 hour endurance race held at Cherry Orchard Country Park near Southend. Runners complete as many laps as possible of a 5 mile off road route through the Essex countryside.

Day and night.

Lap after lap.

Tired legs, little sleep and a very tough challenge.

But Martin and the team got through it. They ran 224 kilometres in the 24 hours!

Raising Money for HARP

HARP supports local people experiencing homelessness, helping them access safe accommodation, support and a route back to stability.

Blake Contractors already work with HARP, so this was a cause close to home.

This time, support came through running rather than Fire & Security work.

Endurance Runs in the Blake Family

Long distance running has always been part of the Blake story.

Ian Blake has completed many marathons over the years, including 25 Paris Marathons.

This time it was Martin’s turn.

Different challenge. Same determination.

Thank You

A huge thank you to everyone who donated, shared the fundraising page or supported Martin along the way.

Together, you helped raise £715 for HARP.

A brilliant effort for a brilliant Southend charity.

And if you’d still like to donate, here is the Just Giving Page