Youngster set to run around all 34 English jumps tracks for IJF

An 11-year-old racing fan will bid to raise money for the Injured Jockeys Fund by running around all 34 of England's National Hunt racecourses next week.

James Clarkson's mission spans five days and will see him run a combined 50 miles, taking in as many as eight courses in a single day.

Starting at Lingfield on Monday morning, James will work his way around the country, running a lap of each track, with the help of his father Ed, himself a racecourse steward at Taunton, Newton Abbot and Bath and passionate a National Hunt enthusiast.

James's running route

Monday

Lingfield (7.15am)
Fontwell (9.15am)
Plumpton (11am)
Sandown (1pm)
Kempton (2.15pm)
Ascot (4pm)
Newbury (5.45pm)

Tuesday

Stratford (7.30am)
Warwick (9am)
Towcester (10.50am)
Huntingdon (12.50pm)
Fakenham (3.15pm)
Leicester (6.15pm)

Wednesday

Southwell (8am)
Market Rasen (10am)
Doncaster (12pm)
Wetherby (1.45pm)
Catterick (3.30pm)
Sedgefield (5pm)
Newcastle (6.30pm)

Thursday

Hexham (7.30am)
Carlisle (9.30am)
Cartmel (11.30am)
Haydock (1.45pm)
Aintree (3.15pm)
Uttoxeter (5.45pm)

Friday

Ludlow (7.30am)
Hereford (9am)
Worcester (10.45am)
Cheltenham (12.30pm)
Wincanton (3.30pm)
Taunton (4.15pm)
Exeter (6pm)
Newton Abbot (7.15pm)

The youngster has put in much of the organising work himself having devised the plan as part of a school project, contacting relevant officials at the various courses to arrange the visits and Ed thanked the venues for their co-operation.

"It was all James's idea," he said. "He is mad about all sports but particularly racing but I'm afraid I limited him a bit - he wanted to do every jumps track in the UK but I just didn't have the time!

"He's really excited about it all because he's going to get to see the Aintree fences. I think because he's running for the IJF, the racecourses have all been incredibly helpful and the racing world seems to be very supportive of the idea."

The route will see the pair cover almost 1,700 miles by car and Ed added: "I'm really looking forward to the road trip with him. A lot of these courses I haven't seen myself either, so it'll be really good to get out and see them all."

James is hoping to raise £2,500 and donations can be made by clicking this link.