In a quiet corner of Dorset, Eric Jager, 68, embarked on his most challenging run ever – a self-organised 72-kilometre journey, passing 25 churches in what he calls the “Steeples Chase.” On 19 October 2024, before dawn, Jager began his one-day ultra-marathon, aiming to complete the challenge within 12 hours and raise funds for Christian Aid. The run, which began with a prayer at his front door, was set to finish at St Paul’s Church in Sherborne, by sunset.
Images: Courtenay Hitchcock
‘The most important thing is not that I finished the 72 kilometres,’ Eric shared post-run, ‘but that so many wonderful people joined and supported the journey.’ Supporters included members of his running club, Sherborne’s SPFit, and his long-term friends, the Trailtrotters. Eric divided the run into six segments, each featuring a rotating cast of friends and family to see him through the most gruelling parts, running or cycling alongside, offering encouragement.
‘The number of people who came out with me were more than I’d expected,’ he says. ‘And many of them stayed with me longer than they’d planned. I feel very humbled by all 35 of them.’
Eric’s journey was far from straightforward: ‘We managed a very steep, slippery and muddy hill,’ he says. ‘All the fields were sodden, and a totally flooded area with a river current meant we had to wade knee-deep.
‘We finally finished 30 minutes behind schedule, but comfortably within the 12 hours cut-off time.’
Eric had scheduled five-minute whistle stops at five of the churches, but proved not nearly enough for a change of support crews, to re-fuel and also to care for his neuropathy-affected feet with five changes of socks and two changes of shoes. The constant support helped him not only with logistics but with morale. ‘As much by the fact that I could hear that they at least were having a good time when I was in front!’ he said.
At his final stop and home church of St Paul’s, Eric’s friends and family cheered and clapped his final steps, a fitting end to his long-distance running career. Eric particularly thanked his wife for her unending support, promising, ‘I want to learn the new skill of going out together for short and meandering walks, in those beautiful places in Dorset. You’ve been rather deprived of those.’
For all the difficulties en route Eric never considered quitting:
‘I would not have wanted to stop just because the going is a little tough. That’s not an option to the people Christian Aid support, whose lives are a constant and relentless battle to survive.’
Eric’s Steeples Chase has so far raised £4,640.75 – more than twice his initial target, and his donation page is open until the end of November here.
The churches visited on the 72km route were: Sherborne Abbey, Sherborne Cheap Street, Sherborne Castleton, Oborne, Poyntington, Corton Denham, Sandford Orcas, Trent, Nether Compton, Overcompton, Bradford Abbas, Thornford, Lillington, Beer Hackett, Yetminster, Ryme Intrinseca, Chetnole, Leigh, Hermitage, Glanvilles Wootton, Holwell, Bishops Caundle, Longburton, Folke and finally his home church of Sherborne St Paul’s.
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