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Thousands joined Jill to cheer her over the finish line at the Stadium of Light as she completed the last leg of her Coming Home Challenge for Sport Relief, raising an incredible £470,677 so far
Family, friends and supporters lined the streets of Sunderland to welcome Jill home, while a special mural celebrating her career was unveiled on the final approach to the Stadium of Light
Jill battled the unpredictable British weather, endless hills, exhaustion, and pain like she’s never felt before while clocking up more than 70 hours on the road, running and cycling since Monday
Along the way, Jill received support from Sir David Beckham, Ant & Dec, Sir Chris Hoy, Dame Laura Kenny, Dame Jessica Ennis-Hill, Sarina Wiegman, Greg James, Clare Balding, Jamie Redknapp, Katherine Ryan, GK Barry, Owen Warner and many more
Communities across the country turned out in force to cheer Jill on, with schoolchildren and care home residents, football fans, roofers, and farmers among the many local supporters lining the streets
Money raised will help support Sport Relief-funded projects helping people build connections, confidence and a sense of belonging through the power of sport and community
The public can still donate by visiting https://www.comicrelief.com/jillscott
Friday 12 June: Jill Scott has completed her extraordinary Coming Home Challenge for Sport Relief, crossing the finish line at Sunderland's Stadium of Light to a roaring crowd after travelling 388 miles across England in what she has described as the toughest challenge of her life.
After setting off from Wembley Stadium five days ago, the Lioness legend returned home to a hero's welcome, flanked by family, friends and thousands of supporters who lined the streets of Sunderland to cheer her across the finish line as she completed a marathon on her final day.
Visibly emotional after completing the final 28 mile run from Bishop Auckland to Sunderland, Jill brought an end to a remarkable journey that has captured hearts across the country and raised an incredible £470,677 for Sport Relief so far.
Over five relentless days, Jill cycled from Wembley to Birmingham and Liverpool, completed a gruelling 38-mile ultramarathon to Manchester, battled through endless hills and driving rain on the road to Bishop Auckland, before digging deep one final time to run 28-miles on the final leg today. On the final day of her journey, Jill ran through her former school, Durham High School, before continuing her emotional journey towards the Sunderland finish line.
Speaking after crossing the finish line, Jill Scott said: “I’m really knackered now — my legs are numb, my blisters have popped, and even my ribs are hurting. But it’s the community and the support that have got me through every mile. This challenge was all about me coming home, and hopefully now I can give something back to the next generation.
“I’m so overwhelmed. It’s incredible to think I’ve taken on this challenge and people have donated their hard‑earned money towards it. I’m in a lot of pain, but it’s all been worth it. I knew I couldn’t fully train for it, so I just had to grit my teeth and get through.
“This crowd and this turnout are fantastic. Sunderland is home — it’s community, it’s everything. The support has been unbelievable, from nurseries to schoolchildren standing out in the pouring rain. I can’t put into words what it means. I think I’ll have a beer now… and probably end up walking around Sunderland for a couple of days.”
What began as a challenge about returning to the places that shaped her footballing journey quickly became something much bigger. Communities across the country embraced Jill's challenge as their own. Schoolchildren joined her route on a bike bus. Care home residents lined the roadside to cheer her on. Roofers shouted encouragement from rooftops. Football fans, families and local communities stood in the rain with homemade signs to offer support as she passed through towns and cities on her journey north.
Along the way, some of the biggest names in sport and entertainment rallied behind Jill. Friends, teammates, sporting heroes and celebrities joined her on the road, checked in from afar and sent messages of encouragement, including Sir David Beckham, Ant & Dec, Sir Chris Hoy, Dame Laura Kenny, Dame Jessica Ennis-Hill, Sarina Wiegman, Greg James, Peter Andre, Clare Balding, Jamie Redknapp, Katherine Ryan, GK Barry and Owen Warner.
The physical toll was immense. Across five days Jill spent more than 70 hours on the road, completing two century rides, a 38-mile ultramarathon and a final marathon home to Sunderland. On her final day alone, she set off having just four hours sleep. She rode through heavy rain, tackled steep rural hills, battled exhaustion and pushed her body further than at any point during her professional football career, with Jill admitting she had never felt pain like it.
The week has been full of surprises as the nation has come together to show their love and support for Jill, from an incredible £150,000 donation from Holland & Barrett, to a surprise good luck message from Sir David Beckham, to a heartfelt pep-talk poem from comedian Maisie Adam, to the unveiling of a special mural celebrating Jill’s remarkable career and achievements which she ran past on the home straight with the Stadium of Light in sight.
Samir Patel, CEO of Comic Relief, said: “Jill has completed an extraordinary journey back to the city where her story began - what she has taken on for Sport Relief over the past five days is just phenomenal. She has pushed herself to the absolute limit, showing immense resilience and determination, and inspiring so many people along the way.
“What has made this challenge so special is not only Jill’s incredible spirit, but also the overwhelming support from the public. From the crowds lining the streets in pouring rain to the thousands who have donated and shared messages of encouragement, this has been a powerful reminder of what we can achieve when we come together. We are hugely grateful to Jill, and to everyone who has supported her. The money raised will make a real and lasting difference to many people’s lives.”
The money raised through Jill's challenge will help support Sport Relief-funded projects helping people build connections, confidence and a sense of belonging. Across the UK, these projects use the power of sport and community to bring people together, tackle isolation and help people feel connected, supported and part of something bigger.
To donate to Jill’s challenge visit www.comicrelief.com/jillscott (opens in new window)
ENDS
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FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:
Comic Relief Press Office
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Out of hours enquiries: 0207 820 2444
NOTES TO EDITORS
JILL’S ROUTE HOME
Day 1 (Monday 8 June) – 112-mile cycle from Wembley Stadium to Villa Park
Day 2 (Tuesday 9 June) – Cycle 99 miles from Villa Park to Everton Hill Dickinson Stadium
Day 3 (Wednesday 10 June) – Run 38 miles from Everton to Joie Stadium Manchester
Day 4 (Thursday 11 June) – cycle 111 miles Manchester to Bishop Auckland
Day 5 (Friday 12 June) – Run 28 miles from Bishop Auckland to Stadium of Light
Sport Relief
Sport Relief harnesses the power of sport and entertainment to bring people together across the UK, to get active, have fun and raise life-changing funds. Since launching in 2002, Sport Relief has raised £420million so far, thanks to the generous British public, and supported millions of lives in the UK and around the world.
For over 20 years, Comic Relief’s ‘Sport for Change’ funding has been supporting projects that are using sport to change lives and to help tackle issues including mental health, gender justice, unemployment, and social exclusion.
Sport Relief is an initiative of Comic Relief. For more information, visit comicrelief.com/sportrelief (opens in new window)
About Comic Relief
Comic Relief is a UK charity that uses the power of entertainment and popular culture to work towards a vision of a just world free from poverty. We raise money to support organisations that are closest to the communities who can make change happen. We support work that will tackle the impact of poverty, injustice, conflict, and climate change in the UK and around the world.
Since launching in 1985, we have raised over £1.6 billion thanks to the huge generosity and kindness of the public and our partners.
For more information on our work, visit www.comicrelief.com(opens in new window) or follow @comicrelief on Facebook(opens in new window), Instagram(opens in new window), LinkedIn (opens in new window)and TikTok (opens in new window)for the latest content and news.
Comic Relief is the operating name of Charity Projects, registered charity in England & Wales (326568) and Scotland (SC039730).
