A group of 36 fitness enthusiasts from Hartlepool have smashed their fundraising target after enduring a gruelling and sleepless 24-hour fitness challenge to raise just under £21,000 for a local charity.

The event, the brainchild of Matty Richardson, co-owner of Evolve gym and Brewbox, in Burn Road, saw 18 pairings tackle a non-stop, around-the-clock Hyrox simulation, demonstrating an incredible level of endurance and mental grit.

The challenge was split 50/50, with half the proceeds going to The PFC Trust, a Hartlepool charity dedicated to improving lives in the community, and the other half reinvested into the Evolve community to strengthen its academy offering under the September UchangeLives campaign.

The Hyrox simulation, a globally recognised fitness trend, required each of the 18 pairs to complete a full race simulation every two hours for a total of 12 back-to-back workouts.

A team photo from the the 24-hour fitness challenge at Evolve, Hartlepool, to raise money for The PFC Trust.

placeholder image — A team photo from the the 24-hour fitness challenge at Evolve, Hartlepool, to raise money for The PFC Trust.

One pair’s Hyrox simulation required a 1000m run before every station, with each station demanding a 1,000m ski, 50m sled push, 50m sled pull, 80m burpee broad jumps, 1,000m row, 200m farmer’s carry, 100m sandbag lunge and a finish with 100 wall balls.

The teams ran 8km in total per simulation, and with each tending to take 90 minutes, they had a small half-hour break before starting again.

This minimal rest was a challenge in itself as the adrenaline began to drain out and participants couldn’t eat or sleep during that rest period, making the exercise tough mentally.

Matty said: “We effectively did 12 of those back to back, which is 96km over the course of 24 hours.

Matty Richardson in action during the 24-hour fitness challenge at Evolve, Hartlepool, to raise money for The PFC Trust. Pictures: 22 Production Co.

"You are working as a team. It was brutal and I hated every minute of it.”

The challenge started at 8pm on a Thursday and concluded at 8pm the following night.

Matty said: “Mentally it was brutal for everyone. It was the same workout for everybody who did it, men and women.”

The £21,000 fundraising success was supported by individual JustGiving pages and strong corporate supporters, including headline sponsor NE Security and main sponsors T&O Construction and Pool Respray alongside a long list of other backers.

Action from the 24-hour fitness challenge at Evolve, Hartlepool, to raise money for The PFC Trust. Pictures: 22 Production Co.

Matty said: “On a personal level next year will be my 10th year of fundraising. We did the GNR nine years ago, got the gym involved four years ago, and it has got bigger and bigger.

“This is the first year for The PFC Trust, because I am a huge supporter of what the PFC Trust does. If I do another year, it will take my own fundraising efforts with others to more than £100,000 in that ten-year period.

“I have seen the impact that money we have raised has had on the community and young people in the local area, children’s based charities etc, which has led to us getting involved with The PFC Trust.”

Kelly Brooks, operations Manager of The PFC Trust, said: “Matty and the Evolve team have demonstrated incredible determination and community spirit.

"To raise £21,000 through such a demanding 24-hour challenge is an outstanding achievement.

"The funds will directly support projects that make a real difference to people’s lives across Hartlepool and we’re extremely grateful for their commitment and continued support of The PFC Trust.”

More information about the work of the PFC Trust is available at: https://www.thepfctrust.org/