A NEW ultramarathon challenge has raised £10 million for UK charities via JustGiving.

Action Challenge is an organisation of events dedicated to bringing people together through events and challenges across the UK.

The Ultra Challenge Series was launched in 2024 and saw participants walk, run or jog from 10km to 100km along Dorset locations such as the Purbecks and Jurassic Coast.

The Coast Ultra Challenge began on the weekend of May 18 and raised more than £1.4 million with over 3,500 partakers.

JustGiving became the official fundraising partner to Action Challenge in January 2024 and with more than 35,000 people having taken part in an Ultra Challenge this year, the number of people supporting a charity has increased by 20% in comparison to 2023.

Jan Smolaga, from Action Challenge, said: “At a time when charities need more funding than ever, it’s fantastic to see so many people ready to strap on their boots and take on a tough challenge for a good cause.

“We’re one of the few mass participation event series to have expanded and grown over the last few years, with more events and more fundraisers than ever.

“People of all abilities want to push themselves further in support of the causes that matter to them, and Ultra Challenges give them that opportunity, on a fully supported and well-run event with a great atmosphere.

“To see the Series raise over £10 million in a year for the first time is an incredible achievement, and we hope to exceed that total in 2025.”

The targeted £10 million was raised for charities including Dorset based organisation, Mind.

Amanda Taylor, Senior Fundraising Officer at Mind, said: “Mind has had an incredible year as a series partner for the Ultra Series.

“Their events are not only fun and engaging but also incredibly well-organized and offer a fantastic geographical spread of events for supporters to choose from.

“We raised an incredible £680,000 in 2024 and consistently achieved an ROI of 8:1. We’re thrilled to be working with Action Challenge again in 2025.”

For more information on getting involved in the 2025 Ultra Challenge series, visit: https://www.ultrachallenge.com/.