BBC Radio 2 presenter Sara Cox endured a deeply emotional moment amidst her monumental Children in Need challenge, leaving her “broken” and causing concern among her colleagues. The 50-year-old undertook a staggering 135-mile journey over five days, running, walking, and jogging from the Scottish border to Pudsey in Yorkshire, raising more than £10 million for Children in Need.
Sara’s Great Northern Marathon Challenge took her through four counties—Northumberland, County Durham, North Yorkshire, and West Yorkshire—covering the distance of five marathons in as many days, accompanied closely by the beloved Children in Need mascot, Pudsey bear.
Colleague Jo Whiley hailed Sara as a “national treasure” for her perseverance. Speaking on the Dig It podcast, Jo reflected, “It was such an impressive feat and we were constantly checking in, ‘How is she doing?’ It really moved us all.”
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Meanwhile, Zoe Ball shared how the team’s concern grew as they witnessed Sara’s struggle. “Following her journey on air and social media was incredible. But seeing someone so strong start to falter was heartbreaking,” Zoe revealed. “We were messaging each other, asking if she was okay because she looked genuinely broken.”
Zoe recounted a particularly poignant moment when Sara spotted her brother and sister among the cheering crowd, visibly moved. However, the turning point came when Sara received a phone call from her mother. “Her face showed pure vulnerability. It was a tough moment for all of us watching,” Zoe said. “Her team checked in constantly; they were worried but also incredibly proud of her grit.”
Sara’s extraordinary effort not only raised over £10 million but also approximately £35,000 in collections along her route. Reflecting on the impact, she told BBC Breakfast, “This amount comes from thousands of small donations from Radio 2 listeners and Children in Need supporters—it means the world.”
At the Children in Need live show, Sara was seen wearing Crocs to aid her swollen feet. She later confessed on the Radio 2 Breakfast Show with Scott Mills, “It was harder than I ever imagined. My recovery was tough—I couldn’t even walk properly over the weekend.” Describing her swollen feet, she added, “Putting on Crocs was a challenge—they were so swollen it felt like a squeeze.”
Sara’s journey was captured by a BBC TV crew for the documentary Sara Cox: Every Step of the Way for Children In Need, airing on BBC One on November 19 at 8pm, and available on BBC iPlayer from 6am that day.