The Bogle Stroll is a sponsored 55-mile walk conducted annually in

Manchester Manchester () is a city and the metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, England. It had an estimated population of in . Greater Manchester is the third-most populous metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, with a population of 2.92&nbs ...

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

. Participants in the walk raise money for charity of their choice.

History

Starting in 1961, when

UMIST The University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology (UMIST) was a university based in the centre of the city of Manchester in England. It specialised in technical and scientific subjects and was a major centre for Research univer ...

lecturers walking from

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back to

spotted an imp, the Bogle has run every year since and is now one of the longest running sponsored events in the North West, and will celebrate its 55th year in 2016. In the 1970s, the stroll was described as "the largest sponsored charity walk in England". A bogle is a phantom or imp. In the early years of the Bogle Stroll the imp was given the name Fred Bogle. An image of Fred hitting his head with a hammer was used as the mascot of the Bogle Stroll and used on bibs used by participants and certificates given out to finishers of the stroll. Green ties with red bogles were awarded to all finishers.

Events

The Bogle is known as a sponsored walk, but also offers participants the option of cycling the event. Currently comprising four main events, the Bogle features many distances that range in difficulty.

The Bogle Stroll

The Bogle Stroll is the most popular event of the four available where participants walk approximately 55 miles around Greater Manchester through the night. Walkers tackle what is known as the North and South Loops, forming a figure of eight around Manchester. Every year, the Bogle Stroll sees close to 50% of those who enter finish, leaving the rest to drop out at various points. To ensure the safety of walkers the Bogle Stroll must be completed in under 24 hours.

The Bogle Ramble

The Bogle Ramble is a shorter alternative to the Bogle Stroll, covering approximately 26 miles around the north of Manchester. Participants don't walk through the night during this event and instead walk the North Bogle Loop, before finishing back at the start point. The Bogle Ramble is sometimes misinterpreted as a marathon, yet the Bogle Ramble covers difficult terrain with open roads and is therefore not recommended to be run.

The Bogle Wander

The Bogle Wander is the shortest of the four events where participants walk approximately 12 miles of the North Bogle Loop. As the Bogle Wander is the shortest route, it is also the least popular but is still not an easy challenge.

The Bogle Roll

The Bogle Roll is an alternative event, in which participants cycle the route rather than walk. Cyclists cover approximately 78 miles by covering the North Bogle Loop three times whilst tackling various hills and difficult stretches of road. With roads open and other walkers around the route, participants must tackle more than just the distance and gives the option for cyclists to cycle shorter distances if desired.

Event organisation

Following the merger of

and

Victoria University of Manchester The Victoria University of Manchester, usually referred to as simply the University of Manchester, was a university in Manchester, England. It was founded in 1851 as Owens College. In 1880, the college joined the federal Victoria University. A ...

, forming the current

University of Manchester The University of Manchester is a public university, public research university in Manchester, England. The main campus is south of Manchester city centre, Manchester City Centre on Wilmslow Road, Oxford Road. The University of Manchester is c ...

, the fundraising body ‘ Manchester Rag' took on the organisation and planning of the event. This has resulted in this event being run solely by students who are in full-time study in Manchester. The event also relies on a large volunteering team who are responsible for the overall safety and management of checkpoints that are located along the route. These volunteers include: * First Aiders * Van/Minibus Drivers * University lecturers * Checkpoint Marshalls * Bogle Control Team

First-place 55-mile strollers

2016 - Michael Jones , 5 hours 58 minutes
2015 - Luke Smith , 14 hours 27 minutes
2014 - Craig Cavanagh , 14 hours 21 minutes
2013 - Steve Judd , 9 hours 39 minutes
2012 - Simon Baker , 12 hours 25 minutes
2011 - Richard Saint/Lee Bawn , 16 hours 04 minutes
2010 - Clayton Malcolnson/Adrian Zoch , 14 hours 56 minutes
2009 - Tim Budd , 15 hours 40 minutes
2007 - Sarah 'Beeny' Benito , 14 hours 15 minutes
2004 - Richard O'Regan , 16 hours 15 minutes arried a rucksack estimated to be approximately 10kg (22lb)br> 2003 - Benj Ellerby , 8 Hours 17 minutes
1984 - Mike Corne , 8 hours 55 minutes 1983 - Zara Hyde , 9 hours 15 minutes 1981 - Andy Bright , 7 hours 39 minutes
1978 - Joe Ritson , 7 hours 9 minutes
1977 - Joe Ritson , 7 hours 14 minutes (Manchester to Manchester via Wigan, Chorley starting at Midnight)
1968 - Martin Banfield , 9 hours 45 minutes (Lancaster to Manchester via A6, starting at 2100)

Previous events

Below is a table of the past events and how much they raised for local and national charities.

References

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External links

Bogle Official Website
Charities based in Manchester
Manchester Evening News coverage of 50th Anniversary