Odgers Win Third Sport Industry Charity Challenge

Executive search firm Odgers Ray & Berndston has won the third annual Sport Industry Charity Challenge completing the HSBC Private Bank Hadrian’s Double Marathon by walking two marathons across Hadrian’s Wall in a time of 16 hours.

The 2009 victory was the third consecutive time that Odgers have won the team challenge in the Sport Industry Charity Challenge – a statistic that has led to the trophy being renamed the Odgers Cup in honour of their achievements.

The Odgers team, consisting of Simon Walton, Nick Claridge, Ronald Hicks and Leon Ayo, walked the first marathon on day one in a time of 7 hours followed by a 9 hour marathon on day two in challenging weather conditions.

Odgers came home first in the gruelling trek ahead of teams from Benchmark Sport, Greenhouse Schools, Sport Industry Group, Essentially Group , NBA and HSBC Private Bank.

The individual prize for the fastest completion of the course went to HSBC Private Bank team member Guy Surtees who went through the field at a blistering pace on the second day, passing the winning Odgers team in the final few miles to emerge victorious.

In total, the Sport Industry Charity Challenge has raised over £100,000 over three years for the Greenhouse Schools Project charity.

Every year the Sport Industry Group organises the Sport Industry Charity Challenge – an initiative designed to unite the industry to raise funds for a chosen charity through a specific physical and mental challenge.

Having climbed the 3 highest peaks in the UK in 2007 and then traversed the Alps in 2008, the third annual Sport Industry Charity Challenge – Hadrian’s Double Marathon – saw participating teams from companies within the sport industry walk a mammoth two marathons over two days along the National Trail stretching from coast to coast taking in the highlights of Hadrian’s Wall.

The energy-sapping route stretched from the salt marsh of the Solway Estuary in the West to Chollerford in the East – a grand total of up to 53 miles.

The trail was a self-guided, marshaled route along the Western & Central sections of Hadrian’s Wall and passed through some of the most beautiful parts of England – from rolling fields and rugged moorland to the vibrant cities of Newcastle and Carlisle.

A huge thanks once again to HSBC Private Bank for sponsoring the event and making Hadrian’s Double Marathon possible.