Students from Hethersett High School are preparing themselves for a feat of endurance.

Students from Hethersett High School are preparing themselves for a feat of endurance.

The 75-strong team of Year 10 and 11 students will be aiming to raise as much money as possible for East Anglia's Children's Hospice (EACH) by running 500 kilometres in 24 hours.

The Hethersett 500 event will get under way in style with the help of several local sporting heroes, including Jon Thaxton, Mick Gault, Craig Flemming and Paul Evans.

They will also be on hand to offer encouragement and motivational talks and workshops to the runners.

The event takes place from 4pm on Friday, February 13, until 4pm the following day.

A circuit will be laid out in the school's sports hall for the students to run around. At all times during the 24 hour stint, there will be a minimum of one pair of students running, and the students have been split into three shifts for the duration of the challenge.

The first, from 4pm to 11pm, will be run by Year 10 students. The second shift is the overnight run, which will be completed by Year 11 students from 11pm to 8am. The final shift is open to all students and finishes at 4pm on Saturday, February 14.

The Norfolk Sporting Ambassadors Programme, part of Norfolk Celebrating Talent - the countywide partnership programme to make the most of the opportunities from the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games - will be supporting this event along with Active Norfolk and Norfolk County Council.

Headteacher Rosemary Allen said: "The participation of so many young people indicates their care for others. I wish them all well and hope their stamina holds out."