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rachel-heward
1st February 2013

Bogle 2013

Bogle is a scenic but challenging fifty-five mile walk around Greater Manchester which raises money for different charities every year
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TLDR

Bogle 2013 is organised by Manchester RAG and has been a highlight of the calendar every year since 1961, providing an intense challenge for students as well as raising thousands of pounds for charity. This year it will take place Friday 1st March to Saturday 2nd March.

This challenging walk started fifty-two years ago when a group of UMIST lecturers missed the last bus home in Lancaster and decided to walk back to Manchester. Allegedly, along the way some of the group started to hallucinate and saw the Bogle (a Lancashire imp of folklore). The Bogle began to taunt the walkers, willing them to give up, yet they powered through and defeated the Bogle, giving the event its legendary name.

Now, the walk anticipates 500 people taking their own challenge and offers three levels of difficulty. The Bogle Stroll is a fifty-five mile walk taking between fourteen and twenty-five hours to complete. The Bogle Ramble is a twenty-five mile walk taking up to ten hours to complete and the Bogle Roll is more suited to two wheels as it is a seventy-eight mile cycle taking about five to six hours to complete. The sponsored walk aims to support many charities, and walkers pick a charity of their choice to support. Last year Bogle walkers raised money for over one hundred different charities. Bogle also has a chosen Charity of the Year which this year is Mencap, who work in partnership with people with a learning disability. They provide services that allow people to live as independently as possible in a place they choose as well as providing advice through helplines and websites. They are the voice of learning disability, campaigning for the changes that people with a learning disability want.

The route takes the walkers to Manchester Airport, Stockport, Failsworth, Farnworth and Salford, and whilst it is an exceptional challenge, it is also extremely rewarding and can often be a lot of fun. Previous ‘Boglers’ have many stories to tell, including this great one from Sarah Barnes who tells of her experience last year. She explains, ‘I walking through deserted, deepest darkest Stockport, it was about 2-3am and our morale had begun to drop. A man pulled over in a car and wound down his window- I was a little worried but I was with three lads so it was ok. He asked what we were doing, and looked at our British Heart Foundation t-shirts. We explained, and he drove off. Two minutes later, the same man drew up alongside us, and handed us £20 in cash. His father had a lot of support from BHF in his later years, and he wanted to give something back. It really raised our spirits- there are good people lurking in the dark!’

If you would like to get involved, either by volunteering to help the walkers or if you fancy a go at the Bogle yourself, visit www.manchesterrag.com/bogle for all information about how to sign up, including sponsorship and what you will need to be prepared for the big day.


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