A two man team raising money for the Scouts is running the length of Kent this weekend.

Setting off from the Marble Arch yesterday, Robert McArthur and Leopold van Lynden plan to journey into the Arctic circle using manpower alone.

The pair will run, cycle and row through Europe, aiming to arrive in Svalbard within the next three months.

Arriving in Kent last night, the runners set off at 9am this morning from their hotel in London Road, Wrotham.

From there they ran through Ditton, Maidstone and Leeds Castle and Charing, aiming to arrive at the Ashford International Hotel at 2.15pm, ready to run again tomorrow.

Sunday will see the property professional and digital project manager run from Ashford to Shakespeare Beach in Dover.

During the week they will swim the channel, before getting on their bikes to cycle 3,500km across France, Belgium, Netherlands, Germany, Denmark, Sweden and Norway.

From Norway they will spend four weeks rowing to Svalbard, one of the northernmost inhabited islands in the world.

The gruelling Arch2Arctic challenge has been set up in the hope of raising more than £100,000 for the Scout Association.

Double Olympic gold medallist Helen Glover has backed the pair.

The rower said: "Rob and Poldy are undertaking an incredible challenge in aid of a brilliant cause.

"As a rower and scout myself I could not wish them more luck."

Robert McArthur added: "We will need to demonstrate grit, determination, teamwork and a real sense of humour if we are to succeed in our challenge.
"We set up this challenge to test ourselves personally and raise £100,000 to support young people from some of the most deprived parts of the UK. We hope in doing so we will inspire the next generation."