100km,Three Runners, One Cause: Miles for the Signals Raise Over £1,500
On 17th October, Sig Jake Skedgell, Sig John Jakaj and Sig James Pickering all from 11 Signal regiment, 3 Squadron lined up for the Maverick Jurassic Coast X-Trail 2026 with a simple aim: take on 100km for the Royal Signals Charity. They wanted to push themselves further than they had ever run before, and to raise money for a cause close to their hearts while doing it and we want to say a huge thank you to all three.
Jake and John completed the full 100km, and as Jake puts it, they did so “with smiles still on our faces. ”Jake said of the day: “The event was fantastic, thank you! I think we would all agree it was challenging and exhausting but, it’s what we wanted! It’s the type of challenge that you can genuinely be proud of completing even if during the event you are questioning yourself!” Anyone who has run an ultramarathon will know exactly what he means.
James ran strongly until around the 76km mark, when a knee injury forced him to stop. Pulling out of an event after pushing through that far is never easy, but 76km is a remarkable distance by anyone’s standards, and James should be very proud of what he achieved. He took on the challenge alongside his teammates and has raised a fantastic amount for the charity. That is what this team was about from the start; resilience, determination and looking out for each other. We are wishing James a speedy recovery.
The fundraising is as impressive as the running. Team Miles for the Signals has raised £1,512 from 54 donations, with a further £313 in Gift Aid on top. Everyone of those pounds will help the Royal Signals Charity support Regular, Reserve and Retired Signallers and their dependants who are facing distress or hardship, and fund grants that encourage comradeship, corps history and education.
We hope the team has inspired you to think about what you could do. You do not need to run 100km. You could take on a sponsored walk, a cycle, a swim or a gym challenge, or go for something completely different, like a bake sale at work, a quiz night, a coffee morning or a car boot sale. Gather some friends, colleagues or family, pick something that suits you and set up your own JustGiving page. Small efforts add up, and the Royal Signals community has shown time and again that it is at its best when it pulls together.
Thank you once more to Jake, John and James for taking on such a gruelling challenge, and thank you to everyone who has sponsored them.
