Share with:
Jamie finished day one in Harpenden yesterday after burning 4,087 calories, being on the road for a whopping 9 hours and 15 mins and raising a mega £22,559
Radio 1 co-stars Vick Hope and Jeremiah Asiamah welcomed Jamie into the finish line along with a crowd of locals cheering him on
Jamie was surprised at the finish line with a Victoria sponge cake in the shape of his face by infamous baker Keith Bakes
Radio 1 presenter Greg James rallied the country to beat a donation target of £75k in order to crush co-star Matt Edmondson’s infamous scooter this morning
The journey began again in Wyboston this morning and will see Jamie head 30.2 miles north towards Kettering
From Monday 17 March to Friday 21 March, Jamie will attempt to run across England, setting off from the home of Radio 1 in London and crossing the finish line in Salford, ahead of Red Nose Day’s night of TV
Money raised could help put food on plates and roofs over heads, keep little ones safe and help support families affected by conflict here in the UK and around the world
Red Nose Day returns on Friday 21st March
For live updates along the route, see here(opens in new window), and to support Jamie, visit: comicrelief.com/ultra
Tuesday 18 March: This morning, Radio 1 DJ Jamie Laing set out on what is set to be psychologically his hardest route on his week of ultra marathons for Red Nose Day. He’s now ran further than he ever has before and knows what if feels like – having to do it all over again today in a huge mental battle. Jamie crossed the finish line in Harpenden, welcomed by a crowd of supporters including Radio 1 co-stars, Vick and Jerry.
Jamie was cheered on by local schools in St Neots this morning, and after it was announced that he had raised an incredible £22,559 yesterday, BBC Radio 1's Greg James revealed on the Breakfast Show that if listeners could raise the total to £75,000, fellow DJ Matt Edmondson's infamous scooter would be crushed—after Greg sent Matt on a side mission to a scrap yard. An intense hour of anti-scooter campaigning followed, and the amazing Radio 1 listeners not only reached the target but surpassed it, bringing the donation total to £78,000. This led to an emotional goodbye from Matt as he watched his scooter be crushed live on air as James Blunts’ ‘Goodbye My Lover’ played in the background.
Day one was filled with highs and lows, and after a gruelling 30-40km, Jamie was cheered into a pit stop by Herts Inclusive Theatre Group, a Comic Relief funded partner that uses the power of drama to provide a space for people with learning disabilities, and it was a special moment for Jamie to see firsthand how Comic Relief is making a real impact.
Caroline Stevens, Director of Herts Inclusive Theatre Group, said: "Our participants, their families and HIT staff were thrilled to have the opportunity to meet and cheer Jamie on yesterday. He was absolutely fantastic, joining in with us for a dress up, sing song and boogie - despite having needing physio when he stopped! His challenge is tough, but I hope that seeing beneficiaries like us, who receive Comic Relief funding, along the way helps spur him on!"
The highs continued when Jamie was surprised by a hilarious portrait cake from Keith Bakes. The cake, featuring Jamie’s likeness, brought a smile to his face and gave him the morale boost he needed to keep going. "Keith this is amazing, I look a little bit drunk in the eyes if anything... This is a brilliant cake, but also it would do really well in a horror movie... in a good way” he said.
Reflecting on day one of his challenge, Jamie said: “This is 100% harder than I thought it was going to be, but also, 100% more fulfilling than I thought it was going to be. I’m feeling pretty drained, sore, emotional but it’s a magical experience. I can’t believe the amount of people that are getting behind it, I've been running and people have been honking their horns and just saying that they've donated and it’s incredible. Seeing people and projects take time out of their days to support me is truly magical. What I’m taking into today is that your mind and body can go much further than you think – I’m going to really go for it.”
Today’s route will see Jamie run from Wyboston, through St Neots, Kimbolton, Raunds and finish in Kettering. Radio 1's Ultra Marathon Man: with Jamie Laing for Red Nose Day will be broadcast live on Radio 1 and BBC Sounds across the week, with video highlights on Radio 1’s social channels.
The money raised for Radio 1's Ultra Marathon Man: with Jamie Laing for Red Nose Day will provide vital funds that could help put food on plates and roofs over heads, keep little ones safe and help support families affected by conflict here in the UK and around the world.
To support Jamie, go to comicrelief.com/ultra
ENDS
ASSETS AVAILABLE
Comic Relief selection of Jamie finishing day one and starting day two available here (opens in new window)
Wider selection of Getty photography available here(opens in new window)
FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:
Emily McCormick
07487582054
e.mccormick@comicrelief.com
Out of hours enquiries: 0207 820 2444
NOTES TO EDITORS
About Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is the UK’s No.1 youth station, targeting 15 to 29 year-olds with a distinctive mix of new music and programmes focusing on issues affecting young people. The station is the soundtrack to young people's lives in the UK and has been for over 50 years.
About Red Nose Day
Red Nose Day is back on Friday 21 March 2025.
From hip shakers, cake bakers and joke makers to Red Nose wearers, t-shirt buyers and sofa-sitting givers, it’s that time of year to come together to support people in the UK and across the world who are facing the toughest times of their lives.
This Red Nose Day, there’s lots to be excited about as we begin to celebrate Comic Relief hitting the big 4-0 in 2025. With your help over the past 40 years, we’ve raised over £1.6 billion, supported over 100 million people, and had a great time doing it. So, this March, let’s all go big to help put food on plates, roofs over heads, keep little ones safe, and support families affected by conflict. Because when we all do a little something funny for money, giving gets bigger and bigger.
There are lots of ways to take part in Red Nose Day. Visit www.comicrelief.com/rednoseday or follow @comicrelief on social media to find out more.
Red Nose Day is an initiative of Comic Relief.
About Comic Relief
Comic Relief is a UK charity that uses the power of entertainment and popular culture to work towards a vision of a just world free from poverty. We raise money to support organisations that are closest to the communities who can make change happen. We support work that will tackle the impact of poverty, injustice, conflict, and climate change in the UK and around the world.
Since launching in 1985, we have raised over £1.6 billion thanks to the huge generosity and kindness of the public and our partners. For more information on our work, visit www.comicrelief.com(opens in new window) or follow @comicrelief on X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and TikTok for the latest content and news.
Comic Relief is the operating name of Charity Projects, registered charity in England & Wales (326568) and Scotland (SC039730).
