Man taking on 106km ultra marathon to raise funds to support lifesaving charity

William Smyth-Osbourne will be taking on the Isle of Wight Ultra Challenge to raise funds to support the lifesaving missions of the Warwickshire and Northamptonshire Air Ambulance (WNAA).

The Isle of Wight Ultra Challenge will take place on 03 May 2025 and consists of a continuous challenge round the island starting and then finishing at the Chale basecamp, totaling a phenomenal 106km. This is equivalent to completing more than two marathons in a single day – an epic challenge not for the faint hearted.

William chose to take on this challenge as members of his family needed the assistance of the Warwickshire and Northamptonshire Air Ambulance in the past. Recently his father, Charles Smyth-Osbourne was attended to after being involved in a horse riding accident.

His father, Charles Smyth-Osbourne, said:

“Although I have no memory of the incident, those who were there have told me how serious it was. I count myself incredibly lucky to have made a full recovery, and I have no doubt the swift response of the Warwickshire and Northamptonshire Air Ambulance played a crucial role in that outcome.”

William’s training for this epic challenge has been relentless since Christmas and he has often been clocking in weekend runs of over 30km and has also completed a 65km run in preparation just last weekend.

“My family have had the misfortune to need to need the services of the WNAA crew on a few occasions and most recently when my father was injured in a horse riding accident before Christmas. I have no doubt that if it wasn’t for the skill, professionalism, speed and simply the existence of the lifesaving charity that the outcome could’ve been different for him,” said William Smyth-Osbourne.

So far, William has amazingly raised over £7,000 for the charity, with donations continuing to flood in.

“The generosity shown by the local community has been overwhelming and I am extremely proud to raise funds to keep the charity’s lifesaving missions possible for others who need them,” he added.

Within minutes, WNAA’s critical care crews can be on the ground delivering pre-hospital emergency care and giving patients the very best chance of survival – this vital service relies entirely on donations to raise the £2,300 needed for each lifesaving mission, as the charity receives no government or National Lottery funding.

Morgan Turnbull, Junior Events Manager for the charity said:

“We are incredibly grateful to William for taking on such a demanding challenge in support of our lifesaving charity – his story is a powerful reminder of the importance of our service.”

“The funds he has raised will help us continue to deliver pre-hospital critical care when every second counts. We would like to wish him the best of luck with his enormous challenge,” she expressed.

If you would like to support William with his phenomenal challenge, please visit: https://www.justgiving.com/page/william-smyth-osbourne-4

For more information, please visit: www.theairambulanceservice.org.uk or call 0300 3045 999.