The ultimate charity endurance challenge!
40% of Everest, 100 miles non-stop, 36 Hours
Can you summon your Royal Marines “Commando Spirit” and push your physical and mental limits further than ever before in this ultimate charity endurance challenge?
Yomp, or Your Own Marching Pace, came to public prominence in 1982, When 3 Cdo Bde Yomp across the Falkland Islands. Since 1664, when the Corps was formed as the Duke of York’s Maritime Regiment of Foot, The Royal Marines has been overcoming seemingly impossible physical and mental challenges to achieve their objectives. It’s the Commando Mindset. #ItsaStateOfMind. Now you have the chance to test your mind and endurance in the ultimate charity challenge over the stunning beauty of the South Downs, while Yomping 166.4 km non stop and raiding a shed load of dosh for participating charities.
Since 1664
27 May – 28 May 2023
Unique Charity Endurance Challenge
The “Since 1664” Yomp is a unique charity endurance challenge of epic proportions, with a self fund option for those who “just fancy a stroll in the park”. Run primarily on behalf of our Platinum Charity Partners, principally The Royal Marines Charity and a few others, there are a number of Premium Charity Partners, and a host of other Charities you can fund-raise for. If your preferred charity isn’t listed, just put us and then in touch and we’ll do our best to to get them signed up.
This charity challenge is that tough that no serving or former Royal Marine who has attempted it has suggested it is easier than any of the famous Royal Marines Commando Tests. Complete the challenge and you will have done something tougher than most activities on the calendar each year. The 2022 event is the ninth running of the event and has been brought forward by to the early May Bank Holiday Weekend to deconflict from The Queen’s Jubilee Celebrations. 2022 also coincides with t eh 40th Anniversary of the Falklands War (Operation Corporate) and is the 25th Anniversary of the Rosemary Foundation (a Petersfield based Hospice at Home). To that extent the RMA – The Royal Marines Charity are seeking 40 Yompers each raising £1000 as a “40 for £40K” initiative, while the Rosemary Foundation are doing a similar “25 for £25K” and both have “free” places available.
To date the success rate is just over 40%, yet the average funds raised per head is ~£1000. Successful participants are entitled to a “Coveted Green Jacket” mirroring the “Coveted Green Beret” of successful Royal Marines.
Departing from Abbey Gardens, next to King Alfred’s Statue in the centre of Winchester dawn (0500) on Saturday 30 Apr 2022 and following the official 100 mile (160K) route, with the minor detours to get to suitable scran points, we finish just beyond the bottom of Beachy Head after Yomping a full 166.4 KMs.
Be under no illusion that this is “just” a stroll in the park, even though it literally is a stroll of the whole of the stunningly beautiful South Downs National Park! The climb (and decent) is the equivalent of 40% of Mount Everest but over 100 miles and in 36 hours. It is approximately 90% of the length of the M25 or London to Birmingham and more than twice the Leeds to Manchester distance. Whilst it is a huge physical challenge,it is an even more immense mental test. One foot in front of the other for about 36 hours and getting on for 1/4 Million steps. Throughout the challenge, you will just need to Yomp 3 miles in the next hour. Well anyone can do that, the ultimate challenge is “can you do it having done it 31, 32, or 33 times previously before arriving at the Seven Sisters”? Completing this challenge is something you should rightly be proud of.
The Yomp usually takes place over the late Whitsun Bank Holiday, but has been brought forward in 2022 to avoid clashing with The Queen’s Jubilee celebrations. The Since 1664 Commando Yomp will test the physical and in particular the mental endurance of the toughest Yompers – 90% of this challenge is in the head. Indeed the Since 1664 gets in your head, with people returning to do better or complete year after year, or to help others as marshals!
Are you tough enough?
The event remains a Royal Marines Charity focused event, though with their agreement it has been opened up to other charities that are appropriate to the event and organisers, to really do it justice. To that extent we have selected a number of relevant charities for whom you can raise funds, subject to them agreeing of course! If your preferred charity is not on the list, then please get in touch – get them to get in touch and we’ll see if we can make it happen.
Appropriate medical cover is provided and there is comprehensive marshal support and we hope to add a team of masseurs to assist ease your aches and pains. There will be four scran stations en-route, plus scran at the finish and at least a further four nutty and wets points. On completion transport back the start for those who need it can be booked. The only thing you need to think about is the next mile… 103 times! In fact the mantra is that at no stage will you need to Yomp more than 3 miles in the next hour and surely anyone can walk 3 miles in the next hour?
Unlike other challenges, (The Trail Walker, South Coast Challenge (both just 60% distance) or the South Downs “Stomp” (various distances, just 10-60K) we don’t offer “part” Yomps, Royal Marines don’t do things by half!
So if you decide you are tough enough….
Fundraising Challenges
There are a variety of fundraising challenges you can select from. All participants are required to pay a registration fee, in order to encourage their fundraising efforts. The larger the fundraising target you set, the less a participant contributes and providing you have raised 75% of that target a couple of month’s before the Yomp (the end of March), the charity you are fundraising for covers the remainder of the entry fee.
So what are you waiting for – look through the challenges below, pick one and start fundraising!
Testimonials
Bear Grylls
The Since 1664 Yomp is truly ambitious and totally crazy – yet it typifies the whole spirit of the Royal Marines over the course of their 350 years of history and tales of daring do. I wish the participants every strength on their yomp and I admire their courage and commitment so much. Heroes!
Damian Hinds MP
Yomping 166.4KM of the South Downs Way is a great way not only to mark 350 years of the Royal Marines Since 1664, but hopefully to raise a considerable sum of money for the important work of the Royal Marines Charitable Trust Fund. I hope many Yompers will be inspired to get on their walking boots and many more will sponsor their exhausting efforts!
Kate Silverton
Being married to a former Royal Marines Commando, I have a natural affinity for the Corps. In this, the 350th Anniversary of their formation on 28 October 1664, I can think of nothing more fitting than the Since 1664 Yomp on behalf of the Royal Marines Charitable Trust Fund. Having met some families of the bereaved and some of the Corps’ terribly injured colleagues of my husband Mike, I can honestly say that there is no truer statement than Once a Royal Marine, Always a Royal Marine. It’s a state of mind [#itsastateofmind] that extends to the families of all those who have earned the right to the Coveted Green Beret. I wish them all the best in their epic yomp and, were it not for the imminent arrival of a brother or sister for Clemency, Mike and I would be there with them!
CGRM
“The ‘Since 1664 Yomp’ is a truly fitting testament to the Royal Marines Ethos in our 350th Anniversary; a huge physical effort, but much more significantly, an immense mental challenge. A mental challenge that will test the Commando Spirit of everybody who takes part in it. I wish every Yomper well in this inspiring endeavour as they raise much-needed funds for the RMCTF. I know the Commando Spirit will get you through.”
Deputy Commandant General
This hugely challenging Yomp will place immense demands on those that feel able to take it on. But the sense of personal reward at the end will be immeasurable, both in personal achievement terms and in the knowledge that the charity monies raised will go to such a worthy cause. As both the Deputy Commandant General and also as a Trustee of the RMCTF, this is an undertaking that has my full support and I thank Robin Hollington for coming up with the idea and for driving it forward with such gusto.
