Bude lifeguard Charlie Barnett ran 5k every hour for 25 hours

Most people who run a 5k go home afterwards. Charlie Barnett went back inside the lifeboat station, sat down for 20 minutes, and then got up and did it again. And again. For 25 hours.

Charlie, a senior RNLI lifeguard, took on the 25-hour challenge to mark 25 years of RNLI lifeguarding in Bude. That is 25 runs and 125km in total, and it has helped raise more than £2,000 for Bude RNLI Lifeguards.

📷Credit: Bude RNLI Lifeguards

A 5k every hour, on the hour

Charlie started and finished every lap at Bude lifeboat station, which Bude RNLI lifeboat allowed the team to use as a base for the challenge.

Bude RNLI Lifeguards said he pushed through “total sleep deprivation, BIG blisters, and the pitch-black night” to reach the finish.

And his first thought when he got there?

“When I crossed the finish line all I thought was I want a pasty, a shower and some sleep!” he said.

📷Credit: Bude RNLI Lifeguards

“Getting out of the door at night was the hardest bit”

Asked about the toughest part of the challenge, Charlie pointed to the moment the light went.

“The toughest moment was when night fell,” he said. “I just couldn’t imagine having to do another 16 laps, most in the dark. Getting out of the door of the lifeboat station at night to start the next lap was definitely the hardest bit.”

It was a different kind of test from his previous endurance runs.

“It surprised me how mentally challenging it was,” he said. “I ran 100km on the coast path last year and that broke my body, but this was the other way round! My body felt strong, but mentally it was so hard stopping for 20 minutes and having to start again every hour.”

Did he ever think about quitting?

“Not for a second. I was getting so many messages and people coming down, I knew I had to do it for them. Giving up wasn’t an option.”

📷Credit: Bude RNLI Lifeguards

Strangers turning up for midnight laps

Charlie did not run alone for long. Friends, lifeguards, members of the fire service and complete strangers all stepped up to join him, some of them for laps in the middle of the night.

“Hands down the best thing about the whole experience was the support,” Charlie said. “It was inspiring seeing how many people came out to support me.”

Where the money goes

Bude RNLI Lifeguards said the funds raised by the team this season will go towards improving some of its equipment and training for the 2027 season.

The team thanked everyone who donated, cheered and ran alongside Charlie, and said it was proud of its lifeguards for setting challenges “big or small” to raise funds.

“We are truly thankful to everyone who supports us,” the team said, “from baking cakes and kind words to donating to our JustGiving pages.”

Charlie’s JustGiving page is still open for donations, and sits alongside the team’s other fundraisers on the RNLI Lifeguards Bude campaign page.

📷Credit: Bude RNLI Lifeguards