On 28 March, Bees Abroad supporter Oladimeji Ajegbile set out to run 50km in support of the Ngororero Young Beekeepers project in Rwanda. At lap 67, 30km in, a hamstring injury stopped him in his tracks. He still raised £2,349. We sat down with him to find out what happened, and what was going through his mind when he stopped.

First things first. Why a 50km ultramarathon?

So I work closely with Bees Abroad and I spend a lot of time writing about the communities we support. One of the projects that really stayed with me was the young beekeepers in Rwanda. These are young people who are learning a skill, building a livelihood, and doing something genuinely meaningful for their futures. At some point it just hit me that I'm always telling other people's stories about doing hard things but I wasn't really doing anything hard myself. So I thought, let me do something that actually challenges me. The 50km felt right at the time. I'll be honest, I don't know what I was thinking when I signed up, but I'm glad I did.

And then what happened on the day?

It was actually going really well for the first part. I was feeling good, keeping a decent pace, enjoying it even. And then somewhere around lap 67, which is about 30km in, my hamstring just gave up on me. There was no dramatic moment like something you'd see in the movies. I just felt it pop and I knew straight away that was it for the day. I stood there for a bit, took it in, and then just slowly walked off. It was a bit anticlimactic to be honest.

What were you thinking about at that exact moment?

Mostly my hamstring, if I'm being honest. But after that initial panic I started thinking about the young beekeepers in Ngororero. These are young people who show up every day because this is their livelihood, not because they signed up for a challenge. They don't get to just stop. So I made sure the fundraising page stayed open.

You raised over £2,000 without even finishing. How did that happen?

I think people just appreciated that I was upfront about it. I didn't try to spin it or make it sound better than it was. I just posted honestly that I hadn't made it to 50km and explained why the fundraiser still mattered, and people responded to that. It actually reminded me of something I've noticed about Bees Abroad more broadly. When you're honest about the work, about the challenges, about what's still hard, people connect with it more than when everything looks perfect.

What does the money go towards?

It goes directly to the Ngororero Young Beekeepers project in Rwanda. Supporting young people with training, equipment, and the kind of ongoing guidance that helps them build something that actually lasts. It's not a huge amount in the grand scheme of things but it's real money going to real young people and that matters.

Will you try again?

Yes, definitely. The hamstring is pretty much back to normal now so I've got no excuses. I wouldn't say 50km is definitely the next step but I'm not done.

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