CHEETAHS were given a run for their money by a dad-of-two who spent his 50th birthday jogging 50 miles around Colchester Zoo.

Mark Prigg’s legs are still aching after spending a gruelling nine and a half hours running around the Maldon Road attraction’s steep and winding paths on Sunday.

The 50-year-old started his ambitious run at 7am and managed to complete his 50 mile target by 6pm, taking just an hour-and-a-half’s worth of breaks throughout the day.

Gazette:

Otter madness - Mark's run and how long it took was recorded on his phone

Mark said the inspiration behind the demanding challenge was his 18-year-old daughter, Maddie, and 22-year-old son, Tom.

Before she was furloughed, Maddie worked part time at the zoo as a retail and admissions assistant, and Tom also used to work part time in the catering department.

In March last year, the zoo closed its doors for what would become the first of three national lockdowns to stop the spread of Covid-19.

The zoo’s savings are being eaten away day by day as it costs about £600,000 a month to run the attraction as it cares for more than 10,000 animals.

But Mark’s 50 mile mission has now raised more than £5,000 in donations which will help the zoo with its running costs.

Gazette:

Challenging - Mark running around the zoo's hilly paths 

Mark, who lives in Colchester, said he felt humbled by all the donations, but admitted the challenge became especially tough after mile 30.

“The hills – both uphill and downhill – became tougher, and my quads were hurting,” he added.

“So my pace dropped off a lot, but I got it done.

“The repeated nature of the loops also made it mentally challenging, but I did also enjoy the experience.

“I varied the laps a little every once in a while, but largely followed the same route round.”

Each lap was about 1.3 miles, so Mark ran 39 laps in total - and after every four laps he had a quick break for food or a drink.

Mark said: “I walked a lap while eating on one occasion, and also walked two laps with Tom and Maddie – one midway through the day and importantly, we did the last mile together, the three of us – which was magical.

“To share that with them was unreal.”

During the challenge, some of Mark’s friends parked in Maldon Road to support him from the other side of the perimeter fence.

To find out more or donate visit, https://www.gofundme.com/f/zoo5050.