In true motor racing style, when Rob Huff joined former champion jockey Richard Dunwoody on part of his 1,000 Mile Challenge, the Chevrolet FIA World Touring Car Championship driver set a new record pace of 13mins 14.74secs over a four mile stroll.

Dunwoody, who has raced single-seaters and Ginetta sports cars – is aiming to walk the same mile 1,000 consecutive times up and down the Bury Road in Newmarket within 1,000 hours. He will walk one mile an hour every single hour for 42 days and nights – with the maximum amount of sleep possible at any one time being about 80 minutes.

The 1,000 Mile Challenge emulates a challenge Captain Robert Barclay Allardice undertook back in 1809. He lost three stone in the process and the challenge was hailed as “one of the greatest human feats ever attempted”.

Now 200 years later, Dunwoody – who is one of Britain's most successful jockeys, having won all three big races, the Grand National (twice), the Champion Hurdle and the Cheltenham Gold Cup – started walking on May 29th and won't finish until July 10th, raising money for the Alzheimer's Society, Racing Welfare, SPARKS and Spinal Research charities as he goes.

“It was great to support Richard during his amazing charity effort and give my day job it was appropriate that we set a new fastest time; a full two seconds faster than he had previously done with a guest companion by his side,” Huff said. “Richard's a bit of a petrol-head, having raced in Formula First with the likes of Robbie Kerr and Danny Watts, and I've been to Newmarket racecourse and lost lots of money on the horses, so we had plenty to talk about.

“I really enjoyed it, and walking at pace is extremely good for your fitness. I'd like to return and do a twelve hour endurance stint with him, as he's raising money for extremely important charities.”

“It was great to meet Rob and to catch up on a lot of mutual friends we have in motorsport,” said Dunwoody. “I'd like to wish him the best of luck for the rest of the World Touring Car Championship and appreciated him coming to do a few miles on our 1,000 Mile charity challenge.”