YOU won’t know there is a recession on if you read the numbers from this year’s Walk the Wight.
More than 12,600 walkers pulled on their boots to get behind the Earl Mountbatten Hospice, raising a massive £387,870 — with both figures easily passing earlier records.
While most of them came from the Island, there were walkers from Australia, South Africa, Switzerland and Germany and they aged from three-year-olds to octogenarians.
The Walk the Wight Awards night at the Isle of Wight College, on Wednesday last week, honoured the walkers.
Hospice fund-raising manager Karen Eeles, predecessor David Cheek and retiring hospice chairman of trustees George Hibberd thanked all the walkers, sponsors and the rest of the people behind the event.
Winning the award for the youngest walker of the whole 26 miles was Cowes Primary School pupil Jack Fellows, who completed the marathon, aged just seven, with his family.
"I didn’t find it too hard and I played football the next evening," said Jack, who lives in Cowes.
Next year he aims to repeat the feat with two-year-old sister Nancy keen to join in for at least some of the way.
At the other end of the age spectrum, 81-year-old Newport man Derek Cooper was the oldest walker to complete the whole walk.
He said: "My sister, other relatives and friends all received care at the hospice, so I feel it is important to support it."
The Penny Deacon Team, remembering the police sergeant who died of breast cancer just before this year’s walk, won the biggest team award.
Reporter: alanm@iwcpmail.co.uk