Andy launches Guinness World Record attempt

SUFFOLK Cricket coach Andy Northcote is to attempt a Guinness World Record later this summer.

Northcote, who is the county’s Cricket Performance Lead and men’s 1^st XI head coach, is aiming to bat continuously for 52 hours as the fourth and final part of his 481 Challenge.

The 40-year-old set out this year to run the Paris Marathon and then complete another one at the end of August, but this has turned into something bigger.

The 481 Challenge is so called as it has evolved into four challenges across eight months by one person to raise £5,000 for Suffolk MIND.

Northcote, who is head coach at Woolpit CC and runs his own coaching business, decided to run a mile a day for 100 days at the start of this year.

He then took part in the Cambridge Half Marathon in March, achieving his sub two-hour target by 13 minutes.

Northcote was on schedule to reach his four hours and 15 minutes target alongside 58,000 other runners who took part in the Paris Marathon the following month until the 37km mark.

He was then hindered by a knee injury, although he still completed the course, walking the last 5km.

Originally Northcote had set himself the challenge to bat in a net continuously for 24 hours, but is now attempting to beat the Guinness World Record of 50 hours, 4 minutes and 17 seconds held by a man from Nagpur in India.

The last leg of his challenge is taking place at Woolpit CC, starting on August 22^nd at 10am and finishing two days and four hours later, if he can go the distance.

He had originally set himself a target to raise £2,000, but having already reached £1,850, has raised the bar to £5,000.

After undertaking three running challenges, Northcote said finishing with a cricket-based challenge fitted in well with the end of summer.

He said: “I had always wanted to do a 24-hour challenge and having seen someone do one years ago thought, why not? Woolpit CC have also kindly allowed me to piggy back on their floodlit cricket week, so it was a good match.

“It is going to be a monumental challenge and one that has absolutely no guarantee of completion. I have no idea what to expect as to how I will react physically.

“Mentally it will be numbing and with sleep deprivation, well, that’s a whole other story!

“I am coming up to two months into heavy training, visiting the gym five or six times a week with Ensofit, and hitting balls (netting) for four hours a week.

“Next up is contacting health professionals and sports psychologists to ensure all bases are covered and give myself the best chance possible to complete it.”

Northcote said he chose Suffolk Mind as his charity after attending a Suffolk Cricket meeting at which Olly Magnus, the county’s main sponsor, said 70 per cent of all money raised for charities in Suffolk goes out of the county.

He said: “That hit home and made me pick an internal charity. MIND deal with mental health and mental fitness which affects us all, either through being really positive or negative and in need of additional support.”

Northcote is on the lookout for volunteers to record and support his challenge, and although he has secured help from several corporate businesses, is seeking more either through giving out discount codes to say thank you to volunteers, direct and equipment sponsorship or covering costs.

To support his Guinness World Record attempt, click on the below link.

Click here

Tags: 481 Challenge, Andy Northcote, Guinness World Record, Woolpit CC

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