Oldham's Steve Hill MBE hits milestone in marathon challenge

Steve Hill MBE, the deputy headteacher at St Joseph's RC Primary School in Shaw, is in the midst of his biggest challenge to date.

He jetted off to Costa Rica a little over two weeks ago on a quest to run coast-to-coast through the challenging jungle and complete the first seven of 14 marathons.

Steve spent the day island hopping before embarking on his mega marathon challenge (Image: Steve Hill)

The founder of the Team Hill Charitable Trust is no stranger to extreme challenges, marathons and expeditions to raise vital funds for charity, and while he described his exploration of the Pacific Coast as "absolutely stunning", the terrain and weather have certainly put Steve to the test.

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On day one, he ran along the Pacific coastline and deep into the jungles and mountains of central Costa Rica before camping for the night in the valley of Naranjillo.

Day one in the bag - six more to go (Image: Steve Hill)

The next day, he ran through the jungles again towards the Continental Divide and said it was "very hot and humid with lots of tough ascents in the mountains".

He then laid to rest in Santa Maria before embarking on days three and four which were both very "long", "hot" and "tough".

The run started with a 14km uphill climb at 2,330 metres, and relief only came at the end when he came across the "stunning" Orosi Valley.

Day three started off with a 14km uphill climb - but Steve finished the long, tough day with a smile (Image: Steve Hill)

He then trekked through the Tapanti National Wildlife Refuge and deeper into the mountains, including through the "cloud forest" at a 500 metre ascent and 1,000 metres descent.

Steve added: "The landscape is tough but stunning."

Inching closer towards the Caribbean Coast for the remaining three days, he saw crocodiles, followed along the "unbelievably hot and humid" Pacuare River and camped at Finca Pacuarito before finally reaching his destination.

Steve saw crocodiles towards the last stretch towards the Caribbean Coast (Image: Steve Hill)

Reflecting on his seven-day journey of back-to-back marathons, Steve said he has been motivated by the kind words of others who are showing their support and sending encouragement.

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Also accompanying him is a team of helpful mascots that his class gifted him on the last day of school in a special send-off.

Steve at the Costa Rican finish line on day seven - before he jets off to do it all over again (Image: Steve Hill)

But the challenge doesn't stop there as he is now setting off to Tajikistan where he will run the remaining seven marathons along the Silk Road - another hot and dry environment.

The deputy head will return from Tajikistan on August 31, giving him just a few days to recover before school resumes again on September 4.

Some good luck mascots, gifted by pupils in his class, are accompanying Steve along the journey (Image: Steve Hill)

In a post online, the mayor of Oldham, Cllr Zahid Chauhan, praised Steve for his valiant fundraising efforts and said: "Keep up and stay strong.

"Thank you for inspiring so many of us.

"You are an asset for Oldham."

Donations can still be made the Team Hill Trust on Steve's JustGiving page, which can be visited here: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/steve-hill-7 

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