Vernon Kay has spoken to Sara Cox and checked in after her first six miles of her challenge!

"It was lovely, beautiful. Bright blue skies and lots of lovely country lanes and incredible countryside. There have been so many people tooting at me; the farmers came out, the lorry-drivers were giving me a honk-honk, it’s been gorgeous actually!"

"Still quite a way to go though!"

Vernon reassured her not to worry, just to focus on the next six miles. In fact, he's rather worrried about Sara's knees...

"My knees are fine, thanks Vernon... I've not needed your knee warmers!"

In total, Sara will be covering 135 miles on foot.

She’ll run, jog and walk from Kielder Forest on the Scottish borders to Pudsey, near Leeds.

But just how big of a trek will this be? Well, just to give you some perspective:

• It’s the distance of five marathons across five days! Or fourty-three 5k runs!

• It’s the equivalent of crossing the Peak District from top to bottom two and a half times.

• It’s roughly the same distance as London to Leicester, Glasgow to Durham, or Cardiff to Southampton.

• And seeing as Pudsey is between Leeds and Bradford - 135 miles is roughly 14 times the distance between the two cities!

The dedication!

Sara was on BBC Breakfast earlier this morning, talking all about her challenge beginning in a rainy Kielder Forest.

Here are some behind-the-scenes snaps, before she kicked off her Great Northern Marathon Challenge.

Check out her special Pudsey Bear robe!

If you're just joining us, here are a few ways you can keep up-to-date with Sara's progress this week, during her Great Northern Marathon Challenge for Children in Need.

You can follow Sara’s journey right here - we'll be providing regular updates, photos, videos and more highlights throughout each day this week.

You'll also be able to follow her every move with our new Sara Tracker, external.

Listen along live to Radio 2 by clicking or tapping the audio icon at the top of the page. Or ask your smart speaker to 'Play BBC Radio 2' - get more help with using smart speakers here.

And you can 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.

Plus, don’t miss a BBC One special following Sara's journey airing next Wednesday, 19 November.

We've witnessed some incredible moments already as Sara set off on her epic challenge during the Scott Mills Breakfast Show this morning - and we're just getting started!

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.

You can catch up on The Scott Mills Breakfast Show on BBC Sounds now, or listen live via our Watch & Listen tab at the top of the page for the rest of today.

Here's some highlights so far:

• 07:53:00 - Mark Chapman says this is his "sporting event of the year"
• 08:04:00 - Sara tells BBC Breakfast this is "a terrifying privelege"
• 08:19:45 - Sara begins her challenge with pipes and horns!

In the first hour of Sara's challenge, she got a special surprise visit from two local alpacas, who came out to encourage her along her way.

The duo are half-brothers, Merlin and Maverick, who've spent their whole lives together, and we're told love carrot batons for treat.

In fact, the pair enjoy a certain level of celebrity status in these parts. As well as arranging to go for walks with them, you can be book them to appear at your wedding - or even to help with your marriage proposal by bending down on their knees. Apparently Merlin will give you a kiss too!

What more could you ask for when kicking off such a monumental trek?

Here are some pics of this wonderful moment from our team on the road:

Sara's dedicated Radio 2 listeners have been sending in words of support as she starts off her epic trek and kicks off Day 1 of her Great Northern Marathon Challenge.

Here's what they've been saying...

Sara will be accompanied by the iconic Children in Need mascot Pudsey throughout the next five days as she aims to deliver him to the town in West Yorkshire that shares his name.

She'll be carrying a Pudsey backpack, that was specially made for this challenge. It can be worn on her back or on her front. Pudsey even has a mac, in case of rain (which will most likely come in handy this morning...)

Sara's "keen to get cracking", determined to get Pudsey to Pudsey. She says she had a practice in her local park, joking that she "looked like a weirdo... but he's lovely".

Pudsey has her back the whole way through! At least he's very lightweight...

It wouldn't be a BBC Radio 2 Children In Need Challenge without some entertainment at the starting line and in true Radio 2 style, Sara kicked off her Great Northern Marathon Challenge this morning spurred-on by a piper AND a horn-blower!

Stuart Todd from Morpeth Pipe Band played Sara off as she began her 135 mile journey from Kielder Forest Park at 8.15am this morning.

Andrea Foote - a trustee of Morpeth Riding for the Disabled Association who provide horse-riding lessons for disabled children - was designated horn-blower at the starting line.

Andrea said she knows first-hand the amazing work that Children In Need do.

"120 children ride with Morpeth RDA every week thanks to support from Children In Need. They've been absolutely amazing. Without Children In Need we couldn't do this."

Sara's Great Northern Marathon Challenge for BBC Children in Need is now underway!

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

Scott Mills
BBC Radio 2 Presenter

Scott Mills has been wishing Sara Cox good luck as she begins her Great Northern Marathon challenge this morning.

This is the toughest challenge, simply put, that we have ever put one of our presenters through... way harder than Vernon's. Way harder than Paddy's. It's brutal this one.

The kindness, the generosity, the sheer power. The sheer volume and power of the Radio 2 listeners - you - will be the only thing that will get Sara Cox through this week. We are really relying on you and your support and your kind donations.

Thanks to Team Sara on the road, we have these beautiful photos from Kielder Water this morning - the starting point of Sara's challenge.

With a 27-mile shoreline, Kielder Water is the largest man-made lake in the United Kingdom. The lake sits deep within the massive Kielder Forest, England's largest forest, which covers an area of over 250 square miles.

The forest is predominantly Sitka and Norway Spruce, but is currently being restructured to include a wider range of species including many more broadleaf trees.

Keep following the live blog for more photos and coverage right from the trail!

Radio 2 listeners have been at the starting line for Sara Cox's Great Northern Marathon Challenge, giving her support and encouragement for the long road ahead.

Sara's just set off from Kielder Forest on the Scottish borders.

From here, she’ll make her way through Northumberland National Park, following the River North Tyne through the tiny villages of Bellingham, Wark and Humshaugh before crossing Hadrian’s Wall.

Finally, after endless empty roads, she’ll finish the loneliest leg of her journey in the market town of Hexham, a full 27 miles down… yet with more than a hundred still ahead of her.

Yes!

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

The starting horn has sounded and Sara is off!

Heading out of Kielder Forest, her Great Northern Marathon Challenge is underway, with 135 miles to go - can she get Pudsey (the bear) to Pudsey (the town in West Yorkshire) by Friday afternoon?

Sara kicked off her challenge with help from Stuart, a piper from the Morpeth Pipe Band, and Andrea, a trustee of Morpeth Riding for the Disabled Association who have benefitted from money raised for Children in Need.

Mark Chapman
Match of the Day and 5 Live presenter

It has been a huge year for sport. But do you know what? This is my sporting event of the year! One woman takes on a truly incredible feat. Her stamina, her spirit and strength will be tested in this monumental task. Without doubt, the toughest thing Sara has ever taken on. Although, some of those Breakfast Shows in the early days after a night out were a bit tricky.

Over five relentless days, in the wind and the rain, over all sorts of troublesome terrain, from Kielder Forest in the Scottish Borders to Pudsey - is she ready? Can she block out the pain? This will test her mind and her body in equal measure.

135 miles all on foot, she has the world as her feet and it is all for Children in Need. We are all behind her, this is Sara's Great Northern Marathon Challenge!

Not long to go now until Sara keeps off her epic challenge...

Remember, you can listen along live to Radio 2 by clicking or tapping the audio icon 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 listen via the BBC Sounds app - if you've not downloaded it, here's some help in getting started!

Let’s go, Sara!

Sara's been speaking to BBC Breakfast this morning, live from Kielder Forest, where she's about to begin her 135 mile Great Northern Marathon Challenge.

When asked if she came up with the idea for the 135 mile challenge, Sara said: "Did I, heck!?"

A cheerful Sara, in spite of a rainy start, said: "It’s quite a long way to be travelling on my own two feet! People will hopefully support and come out and donate to Children In Need, that’s the most important thing – that’s what we’re focusing on, not the drizzle."

Reflecting on the amazing achievements of her BBC Radio 2 colleagues Paddy McGuinness and Vernon Kay in previous years, Sara said: "It’s a terrifying privilege, it’s a terrifying, scary, very tiring privilege to do this… so I’ve trained hard and I'm ready for it. You have no choice but to say yes because it's a chance to raise lots of money and change lives."

Sara begins her 135 mile challenge this morning at one of the most northern points of England – Kielder Water & Forest Park in Northumberland.

It's the home of England's largest forest, covering three-quarters of its 250 square miles. It also hosts the biggest man-made lake in Northern Europe.

While a seemingly remote location, Sara won't be completely alone as Kielder is a haven for wildlife. She may make a rare spot along the way as it holds 50% of England’s red squirrel population, and ospreys which became extinct in England in 1847 – in 2009 ospreys were born in Northumberland for the first time in more than 200 years.

She could also be joined by wild goats, roe deer, salmon, otters, and water voles.

Earlier this year Countryfile's Matt Baker and Vick Hope visited the area to meet the people protecting its ecosystems and preserving its future.

Alongside all that wildlife, Kielder is known for the having the darkest night skies in England, making it a popular star-gazing spot, as well as a great destination for walking and off-road cycling.