SUPER-RUNNER Jim Plunkett-Cole has completed
a gruelling Dragonathon challenge around
Taunton Deane.

As reported, Jim, 45, who grew up on the
Somerset Levels and is a former Wellington
School student, completed the ‘triathlon’ as
part of a wider challenge to run 10k every day
for 1,000 days.

He successfully cycled about 25 miles and
ran the equivalent of a full marathon while
visiting the 31 trail dragons before they are
taken in on Sunday.

He said: “It was really good fun – there were
people waiting for me at the dragons who had
read about the challenge in the County
Gazette. Some of them were old school friends
I hadn’t seen for years.”

Jim also swam lengths at Wellington and
Taunton Pools and although he kept mostly to
time, when he arrived at the finish, the Willow
and Wetlands Centre in Stoke St Gregory, he
found he had ‘only’ done 23.6 miles.

Having promised himself he’d run the
equivalent of a marathon, he then set off on a
‘painful’ three mile jog to complete the
marathon distance.

Taunton Deane Mayor Dave Durdan, who is
leading the Taunton Deane Dragon Trail project,
said: “Congratulations to Jim – he did
amazingly well and it was a truly impressive
achievement.

“We wish him well for the rest of his 10x1000
challenge.”

To read Jim’s own emotional account of the
day, or join his 2014 or 2015 challenges, click here.