A GROUP of Helensburgh school pupils have been pounding the pavements pre-Christmas as part of a fun fitness challenge to help the town’s food bank.

P3 pupils at Hermitage Primary are taking on their very own ‘Lapland Challenge’ to collectively run a total of 145 miles in 10 days.

Inspired by The Reindeer and the Fox Christmas story, in which the animals make a 145-mile journey across Lapland to save Christmas, the pupils are working together to clock up the distance from Rovaniemi (the capital of Lapland) to Korvatunturi, where Santa lives.

They started last Thursday and hope to reach their target by December 22.

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Both P3 classes are involved with each class aiming to cover the distance, equating to every pupil running a mile a day. The kind-hearted youngsters have used the initiative as an opportunity to support the local community by asking their caregivers to donate one item of food to the Helensburgh and Lomond Foodbank.

P3B class teacher Laura Johnstone said: “The pupils are hugely motivated by the challenge and it has opened up a range of learning opportunities from maths to mindset.”

After their first mile, P3B pupil Isla added: “I can’t believe I’ve just run a mile.

“It was hard but it’s important not to give up when things are hard.”

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