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A race to retirement

Dr Strings is running around the world.

Ok, nobody panic. Dr Strings is a psychiatrist for people with learning disabilities and isn’t about to abandon her patients or her team. Every mile will be run on UK soil, until she’s run the equivalent of a lap of the Earth.

The challenge began on 1 August 2026. Starting and finishing in Hastings, she’ll run 24,894 miles before she retires on 1 August 2045. She’s going to raise £1 million for charities that will improve the mental well-being of people with learning disabilities.

Please note: a physiotherapist who has seen the state of her knees has advised that “running” may need to include walking, limping, crawling, hopping on crutches and self-propelling a wheelchair. The prediction is at least one knee replacement along the way…

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Donations are processed by GiveWheel and shared among all nine charities.

Dr Strings in running kit and sunglasses, outdoors at sunset.
At the start of a very long way round.

Live fundraising

Live campaign progress

—raised of £1,000,000

Checking the latest fundraising total…

Dr Strings’ mileage

— miles

— of 24,894 miles

Checking the latest mileage…

Who your donation supports

Nine charities. One shared purpose.

Supporting connection, protecting the natural world and improving mental wellbeing.

National charities 40% of every donation

World Land Trust Woodland Trust

Local charities 60% of every donation

Boathouse Theatre Arts Bexhill Gateway ClubFriendship and activities Little Gate Farm Hastings and Bexhill Mencap Society Hastings Gateway ClubVolunteer-run social club Parchment Trust Project Art Works

See all nine charities and how your donation helps

Dr Strings’ virtual route

Follow the journey around the world

This map shows where Dr Strings had got to on her journey. Choose Whole World to see the complete 24,894-mile course. Rather her than you, right?

Team Earth expedition atlasHastings → the world → Hastings
24,894-mile virtual route
Team Earth progress around the world A shaded-relief world overview with Dr Strings’ complete route shown as a fine solid line and a warm beacon at the latest virtual position.

Route waypoints

The whole route, one place at a time

Open one leg at a time, or unfold the complete journey in one go.

  1. Leg 1Europe & West Asia
    1. HastingsStart · 0 miles
    2. Rye9.6 miles
    3. Camber Sands14 miles
    4. Dungeness20.2 miles
    5. Folkestone34.7 miles
    6. Dover41.8 miles
    7. English Channel54.5 miles
    8. Calais68.4 miles
    9. Paris214.5 miles
    10. Black ForestAbout 600 miles
    11. ViennaAbout 900 miles
    12. BudapestAbout 1,010 miles
    13. BelgradeAbout 1,260 miles
    14. Istanbul1,616 miles
    15. Tbilisi2,438.4 miles
    16. Caspian SeaAbout 2,860 miles
    17. Samarkand3,603.7 miles
  2. Leg 2South & Southeast Asia
    1. Delhi4,561.3 miles
    2. Kathmandu5,059.1 miles
    3. Bay of BengalAbout 5,720 miles
    4. Bangkok6,427 miles
    5. Kuala LumpurAbout 7,075 miles
    6. Singapore7,307.2 miles
    7. Java SeaAbout 7,760 miles
    8. Bali8,336.5 miles
  3. Leg 3Australia & the Pacific
    1. Timor SeaAbout 8,900 miles
    2. Darwin9,434.7 miles
    3. UluruAbout 10,480 miles
    4. Sydney11,383.5 miles
    5. Tasman SeaAbout 12,100 miles
    6. Auckland12,723 miles
    7. South PacificAbout 14,850 miles
    8. International Date LineAbout 15,900 miles
  4. Leg 4North America & home
    1. Honolulu17,093.8 miles
    2. Pacific OceanAbout 18,300 miles
    3. San Francisco19,484.9 miles
    4. YosemiteAbout 19,675 miles
    5. Rocky MountainsAbout 20,600 miles
    6. ChicagoAbout 21,720 miles
    7. New YorkAbout 22,600 miles
    8. North AtlanticAbout 23,700 miles
    9. Land’s EndAbout 24,650 miles
    10. HastingsFinish · 24,894 miles

These are friendly virtual markers based on total distance, not Dr Strings’ precise running location. Longer-distance markers are approximate.

Prefer Team Moon?

Meet the team, see its journey to the Moon and back, and choose how you would like to help.

I WANT TO TAKE PART IN THIS CHALLENGE! I WANT TO HELP RAISE EVEN MORE MONEY FOR PEOPLE WITH LEARNING DISABILITIES! I DON’T REALLY LIKE DR STRINGS. ISN’T THERE SOMEONE ELSE I CAN SPONSOR? NURSES ARE BETTER THAN PSYCHIATRISTS.

Latest from the route

Updates from @extremepsychiatry

Dr Strings’ newest public Instagram posts, shown here automatically as updates from the journey.

Loading the latest posts…

See all route updates

You do not need to run around the world to help change it.

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