MILITARY stamina was in full flow as more than 200 competitors raced across rough Dartmoor terrain in a challenge of a lifetime.

This years Chara Challenge saw 250 runners haul 32lb backpacks across uneven ground, for either 15 or 30 miles, in under ten hours to raise thousands of pounds for military charities.

Individual winner of the event, completing the 30-mile challenge in eight hours and six minutes, was Capt Alex Howard from Exeter.

The winning team Lance Cpl Tarjan Subba, Capt Johnathon Flash Gordon and Staff Sgt Daniel Longster, from 54 Commando HQ Support Squadron in 24 Commando Engineer Regiment based in Barnstaple, finished the 30 miles in eight minutes and 40 seconds.

Last year, the Chara Challenge, the strapline of which states, There is no such thing as insurmountable odds, raised £104,000, but organisers have not yet counted the exact amount raised from this year.

One of the organisers of the event, Lt Col Harry Thomsett RM, said: The Chara Challenge is a test of character and endurance, both physically and mentally, but it is also immensely rewarding and worthy.

Last year our participants raised £104,000 while testing themselves against this iconic commando test, and we are very confident that the amount raised this year will exceed this.

The purpose of the Chara Challenge is to raise money for those charities with a proven record of meeting the needs of servicemen and women, their dependants and the communities in which they live.

Among the competitors was the oldest participant, 72-year-old Edmund Shillabeer, who finished in nine hours and one minute, and the youngest runner, Beth Walters, 12, who completed the 15-mile run with her family in seven hours and three minutes.

Lt Col Thomsetts wife, Ella, who also organised the event, said: The weather was absolutely perfect for the challenge, as it was cool and dry with short sunny spells. There were a couple of injuries and about ten per cent of participants had to be pulled off the course as they failed to reach checkpoints in time, but theyve all said they wont let it defeat them and theyll be back next year.

Feedback this year has been very positive, with participants saying it was the hardest thing theyve ever attempted, but the pain was most definitely worth the fantastic feeling of achievement at the finish line.

In a comment sent to the organisers, a participant said: One of the greatest gifts you can give to people is to increase their confidence in their own abilities and boost their self-esteem. I saw that boost in so many peoples faces after the event they were inspired.

Next years Chara Challenge will take place on August 6/7.

Anyone who would like to support the work of the Chara Challenge can do so by visiting http://www.justgiving.com/charachallenge2010">www.justgiving.com/charachallenge2010