The team’s tour to Pula in Croatia was cancelled due to the Covid-19 outbreak, but they decided to go there anyway. With their running trainers on, the football team is running the distance from Bedfordshire to Croatia to raise money for NHS Charities Together.

38 members of the Football Team’s past and present players have joined in the fundraising efforts and are clocking up the collective miles. The runners include the current committee members, President Lewis Burgess, Vice President Cory McDade, team captains Kyle Jay, Dom Palmieri and Matt Wheatley, Social Secretary Harry Poole and Treasurer Tom Davies.

Team members are adding to the total running distance from their homes in all corners of the UK – from Cornwall and Hertford, Milton Keynes and Essex – plus, a core group in Bedford who are running around Priory Park, the embankment and Bedford park.

Cory McDade, Vice President and current Physical Education and Sport Pedagogy MA student, said: “A few of the players have family working in the NHS and know first-hand the excellent work they are doing.

“As a committee we thought it would be a great idea try and raise some money, even if it was just £250 (our initial target). But in the first four days, we travelled 534 miles and raised £2,600 for the NHS.

“Each day we continue to be astounded by people’s generosity to donate despite what we’re all going through at the moment.”

Andrew Mitchell, Head of School for Sport Science and Physical Activity, said of the team’s efforts: “The University of Bedfordshire Men’s Football team is setting a great example with this fundraising event.

“They have turned the disappointment of not being able to go on tour, in these unprecedented times, into a positive project in support of the NHS.

“They are a great group of students and I am very proud of their efforts.”

Each day, the team monitor every run and take the completed distance off the overall goal. The team are aiming to complete the 2,302 miles by mid-May.   

Follow their journey on the Instagram account @Bulls_run2croatia.

Donate to the University of Bedfordshire’s Football Club fundraising efforts on their Just Giving page:

www.justgiving.com/fundraising/bullsruntocroatia