Two ultra-runner residents are planning a marathon attempt at raising money for charity as part of a campaign to save a beloved racetrack.
Geno Crawford and David Williams J, from Carharrack, are planning an astonishing 10-hour run in support of the campaign to Save United Downs Raceway.
They will be running around the United Downs Raceway at St Day on Saturday March 27 to highlight the 'broken promise' of a 10 year lease that Cornwall Council offered the raceway, but then withdrew.
The ultra-runners will use the massive endurance event as part of their training regime, but will also look to raise £500 for the Cornwall Air Ambulance.
Cornwall’s historic United Downs Raceway is under threat of impending closure and demolition after Cornwall Geothermal Distillery Company submitted a planning application for a rum biome warehouse.
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Geno said: "Like so many residents I was shocked to hear about the potential closure of the raceway.
"When we all heard that the raceway had been offered a long lease we thought the future was secure.
"The choice to run for 10 hours is hugely significant.
"Each hour that we run around the circuit, will equate to each year of the 10-year lease that Cornwall Council presented to Purple Cornwall Ltd (the organisers of the Stock Car racing), before the Council then unfairly withdrew the lease after the directors of the company had signed it.
"It’s a quarter mile circuit, and we will be running continuous laps.
"We estimate we will run somewhere in the region of 40 miles during the event."
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In March 2019, the Council announced that the use of the land would be subject to a complete tender process.
The Stock Car promoters won the tender process and were offered a 10-year lease, which they duly signed.
Cornwall County Council is then reported to have stalled on the 10-year lease they had provided and delayed signing it.
At the time, enquiries were made about the delay, but Council staff reassured that there was no problem.
That changed in March 2020 when the Council announced another interested party in the site, Cornwall Geothermal Distillery led by former helicopter pilot Matthew Clifford, and withdrew their lease offer.
From there, the council have received a Planning Application for outline permission on the site from the rum distilling company, making the future of the raceway look increasingly uncertain.
Supporters of Stock Car racing have vowed to fight the application.
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