TWO LIFELONG friends are undertaking their “toughest” challenge yet with an 82-mile non-stop charity walk.

Simon Alexander and his best friend Peter Copsey, both 45, met when they were just five years old and are “like brothers”.

They’ have completed many challenging walks and hikes together, including the National Three Peaks Challenge and a 192-mile walk from Coast to Coast in eight days, and raised vital funds for charities such as Cancer Research UK.

This time, they will be walking across Essex to fundraise for Essex and Hertfordshire Air Ambulance—and they’ve already smashed their £1,000 target.

Friends - Peter (left) and Simon (right) met when they were just five years old. Friends - Peter (left) and Simon (right) met when they were just five years old. (Image: Simon Alexander) Simon and Pete will be walking the Essex Way from Epping train station to Harwich lighthouse, for 28 hours non-stop through the night.

Simon, from Braintree, said: “We do these challenges, and we know it’s going to be really painful for us—our feet are going to be in bits.

“But after a week our feet will be fine, and a lot of people we’re raising funds for can’t say that.

“We’re in a pretty bad way when we finish, but we couldn’t do it without the support from our families—it’s a team effort.”

They each have a wife and two daughters, and Simon’s eldest, who is 11, has wanted to join them on their training walks.

Tough - Simon and Peter are often up at 3am training for their 82-mile trek. Tough - Simon and Peter are often up at 3am training for their 82-mile trek. (Image: Simon Alexander) Their timeline target and provisions along the way are provided by Paul Savin, who joined the pair on their first ever challenge on the Yorkshire Three Peaks where he fell 20 feet and broke his back.

Sometimes starting at 3am, the pair have walked more than 500 miles this year in preparation.

Simon said: “We’re excited but also very nervous.

“We think it’ll be the toughest one we’ve done, and we know how we’ll be feeling after, but we’ve just got to do it, get our heads down and get on.

“It wouldn’t be a challenge if it was easy, would it?”

Charity - Simon and Peter have raised funds for Cancer Research UK and British Heart Foundation in the past. Charity - Simon and Peter have raised funds for Cancer Research UK and British Heart Foundation in the past. (Image: Simon Alexander) Simon and Pete are inviting the public to join them on the last two miles of the walk, from Dovercourt promenade at about 9am to Harwich lighthouse on Sunday morning.

Simon added: “It’ll be a great ending for us if we can get there and have people cross the finish with us.

“As long as we can still walk, we’ll get to the end.”

They will set off at 7am from Epping Train Station on Saturday, aiming to finish by 10am on Sunday and sharing updates on their Facebook page. 

To donate, follow this link or search for Peter Copsey on Just Giving.