A Suffolk headteacher from Essex has been running 24 miles to raise money for RNLI lifesavers since 4 am
The Reindeer Run challenge usually takes place through December but Rebecca Leak from Bealings Primary has decided to go for it all in one.
A Head Teacher in Suffolk has decided to complete the reindeer run all in one go to raise money for RNLI lifesavers.
Her current target is to raise £500.
The challenge is to run 24 miles in December but Rebecca Leek from Bealings Primary has been up since 3:30 this morning to run from her house in Manningtree in Essex to the Suffolk school all before the bell goes
She told us she is taking on the challenge because she feels they have become symbolic of the "political positions on migrants and what should we be doing to people who are seeking sanctuary."
She acknowledges how people on these lifeboats are " risking everything for their families and for survival." and tells us it's something she "personally wants to get behind as a symbol of that."
Not only this but she has been talking to the children at her school about living in a coastal area and the work members of the RNLI do - Including having to work on Christmas.
"I asked the children who they thought would be working or volunteering on Christmas Day. Their first answer, of course, was Father Christmas.
"But we remembered that the hospitals would be open and that emergency services are still going on.
"And a large proportion of people within the lifeboats of volunteers so they're people that give up their time on Christmas Day as well."
Preparation
She told us running is her "favourite thing" but that she is typically a "private" runner and so having people know about this challenge is adding more pressure because she "doesn't want to let them down."
Despite her love for the sport, she says that she has been "low on mileage" recently with the responsibilities of being a Headteacher amongst other things but has prepared for today by running over the weekend, getting a good night's sleep and carb-loading with a dinner of chips last night.
Her biggest concern for the run has been the high chance of wind and rain, and how dark it will be in the early hours.
"I will have to concentrate on making sure that those couple of really dark hours in the beginning I do really safely."
Finishing
Although Bealings Primary School is aware of Rebecca's run, she doesn't want a huge amount of attention and will just be happy to have a coffee waiting for her at the end, with a feeling of relief.
She did reveal that she likes the ideal of being a "role model" for the children.
"Being a woman that has taken on a really physical challenge, I think that's really important for children to see.
"These endurance sports are often dominated by men, if you go to an ultra marathon, there's always many more men that do it than women.
"So I like the idea of being something of a role model in that way as well."