A veteran is running six ultramarathons in six consecutive days along the River Severn to raise money for the hospice that cared for his dad.
Joe Hemming from Droitwich is running from Hafren Forest in Powys to Bristol in memory of his dad Robert “Babs” Hemming, who was also an ex-serviceman.
The 33-year-old former Royal Artillery serviceman, who served in Afghanistan and did tours in Kenya and east Africa, paid tribute to his dad, who died in June 2025 at the age of 72 after being diagnosed with cancer at the start of 2025.
Joe told GB News his dad was known as a character in the Worcestershire town, having served on tours of Northern Ireland and the Rhine during the Cold War.
Joe told GB News: “Dad was a really proud ex-serviceman. He was really strong, really dedicated and really committed and I think that’s probably where I’ve drawn a lot of those soft skills from.
“He was the sort of person that you could walk through Droitwich with and everybody would say hello to him.”
However, after becoming unwell, Robert began to lose his mobility before being homebound. Robert was admitted to St Richard’s Hospice in Worcestershire.
Joe added: “The care he received was second to none and from that moment I knew I wanted to give back.”
Joe Hemming is making the epic run in June
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Joe and his dad Robert
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Joe was quick to praise the work of St Richard’s Hospice, which supports more than 3,000 patients, family members and bereaved people in Worcestershire.
He added that most of the funding comes from members of the community making donations, leaving gifts in wills, and shopping with the charity
The 33-year-old decided to run alongside the River Severn from June 5 to June 10, the days marking the time his father spent in the care of St Richard’s Hospice, ending on the anniversary of his death.
In addition, he chose the route because it runs through the communities served by the hospice and because his father wished for his ashes to rest near the River Salwarpe, which flows into the Severn.
The veteran told GB News: “The idea was his ashes would go into the Irish Sea, then into the Atlantic and then he would get that one final journey around the world.”
Joe said the memory of his father would accompany him on his run, recalling what he dubbed “a spiritual experience” during a practice run.
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He told GB News: “I did a run back in June, probably about three weeks after he passed away.
“I ran an ultramarathon and I remember hearing his voice as I was running and I could hear him telling me ‘don’t you dare stop running up this hill until you get to a car park’.
“I was looking out and I was thinking ‘I have no idea where this car park is, this is just a voice in my head.’ Maybe it’s just the fact it was 34° and my brain was playing tricks on me but lo-and-behold I got to the top of the hill and there was a car park there.
“I’m very levelheaded with anything like that, but I heard my dad’s voice very vividly in my head so I do believe that he’ll be there with me in some way shape or form.”
Joe on one of his practice runs
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It is not the first time Joe has undergone a massive challenge to raise money.
He told GB News he and his fiancée Joanne lost a baby in 2024 through miscarriage, prompting the veteran to embark upon five ultra-marathons and three marathons.
“I threw myself in the deep end so I’ve always had some kind of relationship with running but never to this sort of extent of running six ultramathons in six days”, he added.
Now, he said his run would be “a bit Forrest Gump” as he would be joined along the run by fellow veterans and friends.
Rob during his time in the armed forces
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He continued: “I’ve had a lot of people that have come to me saying that they want to run a couple of days or a section of the route.
“So that’s also critical for me to know that I’m going to have that level of support as I’m running around.”
“I really wanted to shout out to the military and the and the ex-forces communities because I’d say it is a good 50 per cent of the people that are coming to join me are from a forces background or still in the forces.”
To donate to the fundraiser, click here.