The Long Road Back · April 2028
The
Team
Runners. Crew. Cameras. Every one of them giving their time for something bigger than the miles.
The Runners
Two Men.
One Road.
James and Andy are the engine of this thing. Lifelong friends, both with deep personal reasons for every step they take. Everything else — the crew, the cameras, the support — exists to get them to Paris.
Runner · Co-Lead
James
Sayers
Prince of Wales Renal Ward, DCH
Content, site, and the seed of the whole idea. James is running for the ward that has cared for him directly — a cause that isn’t abstract or distant, but something he has lived. The Long Road Back began with his question: what if we did something that actually mattered? This is his answer.
Runner · Co-Lead
Andy
Potter
Fortuneswell Cancer Ward, DCH
James’s lifelong friend. Professional photographer with deep industry contacts. Running for the ward that cared for him. Andy brings the commercial eye and the network that turns a good idea into something the world can actually see. Contacts, camera access, and 350+ miles of road.
350+ miles · 12 days · 3 charities · One crew behind every step
Key Contributor
More Than
Support.
The third anchor of the team. A lifelong friend, a co-founder of TOL, and the person who carries the MIND narrative — and will run part of the road himself.
John Foote
Support Vehicle · TOL Anchor · MIND / Mental Health Lead · Possible VW Camper
John is James’s lifelong friend and co-founder of Thinking Out Loud (TOL), the mental health and creative community that sits at the heart of this run’s third charity strand. He anchors the MIND narrative in a way nobody else can — not as a patron, but as someone who has built something around it. He’s confirmed to run one leg (TBC), brings superb charity and running contacts from across the sector, and may be supplying a VW Camper as a mobile base.
Running a Leg
Out on
the Road.
Team members confirmed to join the runners for one or more stages — training for their leg, bringing their own reasons for showing up.
Cameron
Sayers
Son of James · Support Car (additional stages)
Running alongside his dad for at least one leg. Also covering additional stages in the support car. Cameron is the family line out on the road — one of those details that makes the run feel like what it is.
Liam
Sayers
Son of James · Support Crew
James’s eldest son. Fighting back from ACL football injuries and determined to complete a leg if he is able. He’ll be part of the support crew throughout — and his presence on the road, however he makes it, is personal in a way that doesn’t need to be explained.
Andrew
Jeffery
Firefighter · First Aider · Camper Van · Mobile Base
Serving firefighter. The team’s most qualified first aider — an irreplaceable presence when you’re doing 40-mile days in all weathers. Running one leg, and bringing a camper van (and his wife) to form a rolling mobile base for crew rest and kit.
John
Foote
TOL Co-Founder · MIND Lead · Running a Leg
James’s lifelong friend and co-founder of Thinking Out Loud. John carries the MIND narrative in a way nobody else can — not as a patron, but as someone who has built something around it. Confirmed to run one leg. His reasons for showing up are as personal as anyone’s on this road.
Lee
Stork
Chairman, Netherbury FC · Returning Runner
A strong runner who knows what his legs are capable of. Chairman of Netherbury FC — James ran the club alongside him as Manager and Secretary. Lee is training to complete a full leg, and whatever distance he makes, he’ll be out on the road for the right reasons.
Want to
join us?
One leg. Your reasons.
We’re open to people joining us for a leg of the journey. Get in touch and we’ll see what we can arrange — including help with costs where we can make it work.
Support crew: the ones who make the miles possible
Support Crew
Behind
Every Mile.
Support cars, logistics, food, kit, and the quiet work that keeps two runners moving every single day. These people give up their own time to put themselves between James and Andy and everything that could stop them.
Sarah
Puddy
James’s Partner · Many Legs
James’s partner. Covering support car on many legs — present for the road in a way that’s both practical and personal.
James
Hedman
Good Friend · Several Legs
Long-standing friend of James. Running support vehicle across several legs. The kind of person who shows up when it matters and asks no questions about why.
Edward
Sayers
Brother of James · Medi-Bike · Lead Drone Pilot
With us for all twelve days — cycling as the medi-bike wherever the support cars can’t follow, and the lead drone pilot at every significant stop, professionally recording everything.
Support Roles at a Glance
- Sarah Puddy — Support car, many legs
- Cameron Sayers — Support car + running one leg
- Andrew Jeffery — Camper van base + running one leg
- James Hedman — Support vehicle, several legs
- Edward Sayers — Medi-bike · Lead Drone Pilot, full journey
- John Foote — Support vehicle + running a leg
Documentation
The Run
on Film.
Every great run deserves to be documented properly. Alan McNamee is confirmed as lead photographer for the full campaign — all twelve stages. Andy Potter — professional photographer with his own business and strong industry contacts — is also pursuing pre-publicity coverage via Finbarr, a photographer who works regularly for the Telegraph. The story won’t just be told. It’ll be seen.
Lead Photographer
Alan McNamee
Campaign Coverage
Full campaign · All 12 stages
Additional Photographers
TBC via Andy Potter
A Crew Built
on Real Things.
No one on this team is here for the optics. Every person has a reason — a friendship, a family connection, a ward that saved someone they love. That’s what makes the difference on France Day 8 when the road is long and the legs are shot.
The Long Road Back
Follow the Journey
350+ miles. Bridport to the Arc de Triomphe. April 2028.