Just listen to that wind!

Sara Cox
BBC Radio 2's Great Northern Marathon Woman

Thanks so much, all your messages are amazing, everybody who's come out and everyone who's donated... we're over half a million quid Spoony, I mean that is crazy for Day 2. I'm so grateful and it's just really kept me going. I was literally on my own going over massive moorlands in driving, bitter cold rain. Now I'm a bit more worried about how John (the dog trainer) is getting home because he's from Essex!

Here's the moment that Sara was reunited with her lovely dog Daisy on the road!

Daisy's trainer John turned up to surprise Sara, and it's an understatement to say Sara was thrilled. She cried out, "Hello sweetheart, hello gorgeous girl!"

Spoony commentated as Sara had lots of cuddles with Daisy: "She’s just tangled herself in wires, but she doesn’t care that we’re on national radio. She’s just seen mummy, and she wants to give her mummy all the love and support. That’s how animals are."

When Spoony asked if Daisy takes after her owner, Sara said: "She’s definitely got more energy than I ever have. She’s super positive and upbeat, and a bit daft, so yeah, possibly we are quite similar. Is she going to stay with me for a bit? Can we run with her for a little bit?"

Daisy is the perfect companion to get Sara through the last leg of today's journey.

We're sending lots of love to Sara as she pushes on through the wet weather today - here are some snaps of her in and out of the rain. Even Pudsey (big and small) has got his raincoat on!

Sara Cox
BBC Radio 2's Great Northern Marathon Woman

Daisy’s just been the most incredible training partner, she has been out on so many runs with me and sometimes I’d have her on lead when we’re on the road and then we’d get to a park and I’d think, "Gosh, have I overdone it with her here, is she alright?" and she’d be like VROOM after a squirrel and I’d think, "Yeah, she’s fine!"

But flat-coats are just the best dogs in the world aren’t they?

All day Radio 2 has been talking to the amazing listeners who have come out to support Sara Cox, and DJ Spoony just caught up with Christine, who is waiting a few miles out from the finish line with her husband and her two dogs.

As Spoony put it, we're "a nation of dog-lovers, and a nation who really support the underdog."

Christine and her family have traveled a long way to come and see Sara: "We decided we wanted to come and show our support for Sara because she's doing such a magnificent job today in such arduous conditions. So my husband and I and our two little terrier dogs have travelled about 65 miles from home and we're currently parked up about 3 miles from the finishing line.

"We're hoping to say hello for her and I've brought some immunity honey for her as well which she might like for when she finishes tonight, to boost her on for another day of hard work... I've wrapped it up in a special Pudsey bag with a little card on it that says 'think happy thoughts'."

It's this kind of thoughtfulness that is keeping Sara going!

If you’re just joining our live coverage of Sara Cox’s Great Northern Marathon Challenge for BBC Children in Need, here’s what’s been going on…

• Radio 2’s Sara Cox set off this from Hexham, continuing her five-day, five-marathon journey to Pudsey, Leeds.

• She’s aiming to cover 135 miles on foot - through Northumberland, Durham, North Yorkshire, and West Yorkshire - carrying a special Pudsey Bear backpack from border to heartland, powered by northern grit and a whole lot of listener love.
• Sara's been making her way along an incredibly hilly route, and battling ferocious wind, rain and cold to push through to today's destination in Wolsingham.
• She's a bit behind schedule but has just made it to her third and final pit stop of the day in Stanhope, and been reunited with her dog Daisy!

Stay tuned for regular updates, photos and videos as Sara continues her epic journey!

Keep listening to BBC Radio 2 to hear more from Sara during DJ Spoony's show between now and 7pm.

You can listen along live on Radio 2 by clicking or tapping the 'Listen Live' button at the top of the page. Or ask your smart speaker to play BBC Radio 2 - get more help with using smart speakers here.

You can also take Sara with you via the BBC Sounds app if you're on the move - if you've not downloaded it, here's some help in getting started.

If there's one way to put a smile on Sara's face it's to bring her an animal, and this time it was a particularly special one... At her final pit stop in Stanhope, Sara was surprised by her dog trainer John who brought her beloved dog Daisy to see her.

Sara Cox
BBC Radio 2's Great Northern Marathon Woman

The messages are amazing thank you, a real boost! But I do need a hug, I've been hugging a lot of people en route... I need one of your hugs mate, can we make that happen?

We've been going over the wildest moors today, it's been really hardcore. They do do a hill very well round here!

This afternoon Trevor Nelson has been bringing us all the latest from Sara's challenge, including bringing her the amazing news that she has raised over half a million pounds!

He's also spoken to people who have come out to support and who can report first-hand on the grim weather that Sara has been pushing herself to travel through.

If you missed any of them, ask your smart speaker to play BBC Radio 2, then 'Ask BBC Sounds to rewind to' the times below. Get more help with using smart speakers here.

• 14:22 - Trevor catches up with Sara and reveals the new total
• 14:44 - Trevor speaks to listener Leslie on the lookout for Sara
• 15:49 - Trevor chats to listener Jonathan waiting for Sara at her next pit stop

You can also catch up on Trevor's show via our Watch & Listen tab at the top of the page for the rest of today.

After an amazing first day where Sara finished nearly an hour earlier than expected, she is running behind today, with rain, freezing winds and endless hills slowing her down. You can follow her progress on Sara's tracker on the Children in Need website, external.

We don't envy Sara as she battles the elements through County Durham, but she is doing an incredible job. Your love and donations are getting her through, so keep supporting her in person and online.

Listener Jonathan was waiting for her to arrive: "We’ve got a 6 foot 6 flag of Jack and Vera Duckworth stood outside the Rovers Return to hopefully make her smile, and when she gets into the village there’s an extremely large inflatable Pikachu stood on the corner ready to welcome her!’’

When Trevor asked him about the supporters waiting for Sara, he continued: "Stanhope is full of people. We’ve come out the village a little bit just to spread the crowds out and down into Wolsingham where we’ll finish for the day where it’s already getting busy as well."

Straight after she got off air, she joked to the crew: "Now we've got to half a million, could you just give me a lift to the next stop?"

If only, Sara!

We are so grateful to the fantastic Radio 2 listeners who are out and about looking out for Sara and cheering her on in person. It means so much to her to see everyone - especially in weather like this!

Sara's Great Northern Marathon Challenge for BBC Children in Need is well underway as she treks on through County Durham towards today's destination in Wolsingham!

If you'd like to support Sara with a text or online donation, you can find all the details below or at bbc.co.uk/sara

Richard Madeley
Television Presenter, Author & Journalist

Hi Sara, it’s Richard here. I don’t know where you’ll be when they play you this, but I am willing to bet a great deal that, knowing you, you’ll be ahead of schedule, because that’s the sort of person you are!

When you do something, you do it brilliantly. When you set your heart and mind on something, like this, it’s a guaranteed triumph. And I know you’ll have had moments already, and you’ll have them to come, when you’ll think "Ahh, can I go on?", "What am I doing?", and we all know the answer to the first: "Yes", and you know the answer to the second.

You’re doing it for a great cause, and you are going to cross the finish line in triumph. We’re all incredibly proud of you.

Sara braced as she awaited news of her new fundraising total - a whopping £533,615!

Your generosity has pushed Sara through the highest day of her challenge and will keep motivating her throughout the week - head to bbc.co.uk/sara to find out how to donate if you haven't yet.

Trevor Nelson
BBC Radio 2 Presenter

She’s trying to do something pretty historic, the toughest challenge anyone’s ever done for Children In Need. I spoke to her earlier, she’s got her chin up, she’s fighting through. The weather’s horrendous, and she’s running up and down hills... Honestly, even if you can only donate a pound, that would be most appreciated.

Sara Cox
BBC Radio 2's Great Northern Marathon Woman

The wind is whistling outside. I've just had a brutal climb - it was just relentless. But we got to the top and I feel buzzy now. You know, we're getting there.

The public have been so lovely. I've been doing a bit of a mime show today, because I'm trying to save my voice. So I'm doing lots of thumbs up and salutes and chef fingers.

You can follow Sara's every move with our super handy tracker, which will chart her progress getting Pudsey to Pudsey - available now on the BBC Children in Need website, external.

Sara is being treated to some stunning panoramic vistas from the hills of County Durham on Day 2.

This is the view currently from Team Sara on the road: