Runner planning to ’hit the wall’ on marathon attempt

Many marathon runners fear 'hitting the wall' but an intrepid runner from The University of Nottingham Ningbo China (UNNC) is hoping to do just that. Rob Avery-Phipps, 21, who is studying a master's in International Relations at UNNC, is planning to run the Great Wall Marathon in the Chinese province of Tianjin. The marathon is run on the Huangya Pass section of the famous wall and involves negotiating 5,164 stone steps, as well as many steep ascents and descents. Rob hopes to raise more than £1,000 for End Polio Now , a charity that aims to eradicate polio worldwide. Rob, who is originally from Nottingham, is a keen runner, having competed in competitions for UNNC. This will be, however, his first marathon attempt. He's been training in Ningbo for the Great Wall Marathon, although finding enough steps to train on has been a challenge.