Walkers mark jubilee by hitting the road in Hackney

Chloë Mayer Thursday, June 7, 2012
5:43 PM

Nearly 500 walkers battled “torrential, continual rain” in an attempt to trek 100 miles in two days, to celebrate both the Olympics and the diamond jubilee.

The Long Distance Walkers Association began the challenge, which was inspired by the Games, on Saturday, June 2, and set off from White Post Lane Bridge by Victoria Park.

Their route took them through Hackney, across the capital, and out into the Surrey countryside.

Member Linda Ashwell said: “Little did the walkers know that having gone through London early on in the walk, they were going to face some torrential, continual rain during the two nights of walking, which resulted in some very muddy footpaths and slow walking conditions.

“The consequences of this was that there was a higher than normal drop-out rate because many realised that they would be ‘timed out’.”

But many of the group were still able to finish the course and arrived in Windsor just before 10am on Monday, June 4, in time to celebrate the Queen’s jubilee celebrations.