7 men - 3,863 miles - 40 days - lots of blisters!

30 September 2022

On 30 September seven former and serving front-line personnel embark on a six week march across Britain to raise money for eight military and emergency service charities. Their journey will begin at the Royal Navy Headquarters Whale Island in Portsmouth, and end in the same place on Armistice Day.

Brainchild of AB James Mazzoni-Dalton, currently serving on HMS Ambush based at Faslane, the ‘Yompathon’ team come from all over the UK, representing the Royal Navy, Army and Royal Air Force as well as the Police, Ambulance and Fire services.

The team will march for 24 hours each day, through three countries, 14 national parks and 40 counties across the United Kingdom. Each day they will cover a minimum of 96.5 miles, aiming to maintain an average pace of 15 minutes per mile, with each member of the team completing eight miles with the 25kg Burgen before handing it over to a fellow Yomper, relay style.

Mazzoni-Dalton says of the challenge: “I came up with the idea of the Yompathon because I feel so strongly about wanting to help both former and serving members of the Armed Forces and Emergency Services suffering from mental health challenges. The charities I’ve chosen to support are close to my heart: I have been in the British Armed Forces since 1998 and I’m currently serving with the Royal Navy as a Medical Assistant in the Submarine Service. I cannot wait to embark on this challenge, while losing a few toenails along the way, for such a worthwhile cause.”

The Yompathon, named after the military term “YOMP”, which stands for “Your Own Marching Pace”, will raise money and awareness for mentally wounded veterans. Supported charities are SSAFA, the Armed Forces charity, Royal Navy & Royal Marines Charity, FirstLight Trust, All Call Signs, The Ambulance Staff Charity, Police Care UK, The Fire Fighters Charity, NHS Charities Together.