Bedford Prep School teacher Paul Dennis has completed an extraordinary 24-hour running challenge as part of Bedford School’s record-breaking Movember campaign, which has already raised more than £24,500 and features a student-made parody film, “From Parklife to Tachelife”.
Part of the Bedford School MoBros team, Paul set out to run 5k every hour for 24 hours, clocking up 120km in a single day, almost three marathons back to back.
He was ‘cheered off’ by Bedford Prep boys in the playground before heading out on loops around the school site, town parks and along the river.
Across the full 24 hours, he was rarely on his own. Staff, pupils and parents joined different legs of the run, with Year 8 boys running alongside him at midday and Year 5 joining in the afternoon. In the end, he only ran four of the 24 hours entirely solo.
Explaining why he took on the challenge, Paul said: “I wanted to take on this challenge because raising awareness of men’s health is important, particularly in an all-boys school.
“I have seen friends and family impacted by mental health struggles, and I even lost one of my teachers far too early. Running has always been great for my own mental health, too.
“The idea came from wanting to push myself beyond the usual month-long challenges I have done before. I thought, ‘Could I do it all in one day? How far could I test my body?’
“But it was not just about me; I wanted to get others involved. The support was incredible – staff, boys and parents all came together.”
Afterwards, he paid tribute to everyone who backed him. “I just wanted to say a huge thank you for all your love and support over the past couple of days.
“I have genuinely been overwhelmed with how keen people have been to help, people running with me (including at ridiculous times in the night) and all the donations.
“It really does highlight what a wonderful community we have here, and I honestly could not have done it without you all.”
Tachelife
This year’s Movember campaign is being led by a group of Upper Sixth students known as the MoBros, who have combined serious fundraising with a light-hearted but carefully crafted awareness drive.
At the centre of it is their new film, “From Parklife to Tachelife”, a tongue-in-cheek parody of Blur’s classic Britpop anthem, which joins the list of parody videos that have become a tradition of the Bedford School Movember calendar.
Upper Sixth Former Marcus, the creative lead behind the video, said the aim was to keep it down-to-earth while still conveying a clear message.
“The MoBros and I decided to go with the song ‘Parklife’ by Blur, as it allowed us to portray a down-to-earth and comical approach,” he said.
“I hope the video raises as much awareness as possible. A lot of work, not just from me but from everyone involved, has gone into it. Our mission is to shine a light on the amazing work Movember does for men’s mental health and cancer, and to inspire even more donations.”
Whole-school effort
The 2025 campaign has already surpassed last year’s fundraising total, with more than £24,500 raised so far for Movember’s work on men’s mental health, suicide prevention and cancers such as prostate and testicular.
Alongside Mr Dennis’s 24-hour run, the MoBros have organised a packed line-up of events, including:
- The inaugural Movember Ball
- A Silent Auction
- Open Mic Night
- Mo Netball with Bedford Girls’ School
- House Tug of War
- Mo Dodgeball and Movember Football
- The long-running Movember Curry & Quiz Night
- A series of cake sales and smaller fundraising activities
The campaign runs across the whole Bedford School community, with MoBros helping to raise awareness not only in the Upper School but also in the Prep School and through joint events with Bedford Girls’ School.
Victoria Marriott, Master in Charge of Charities at Bedford School, said: “I am so proud of what all the MoBros of 25 have achieved.
“Our aim is always to raise awareness and of course funds for this amazing charity and it is great to see so much positive engagement with everything we are doing.”
For them all, the impact goes beyond one gruelling day of running or a parody video.
The wider campaign is designed to normalise conversations about men’s mental and physical health among boys and young men, and to show what can be achieved when a school community pulls together for a shared cause.
Supporters can donate to Paul Dennis and the Bedford School MoBros via their Movember fundraising page.
