In the annals of The British & Irish Lions’ storied history, there is a chapter exclusively dedicated to individuals producing barnstorming runs.

JJ Williams in 1974, Matt Dawson in 1997, Brian O’Driscoll in 2001 and George North in 2013 are just a few of the iconic dashes forever scorched into the ground and our memories.

But Simon Dent has intentions to top them all.

Starting on 19 July, the 49-year-old will be embarking on a 1000km run between Brisbane and Sydney – coinciding with the first and third Lions Tests against Australia – for Dallaglio RugbyWorks, a charity which uses rugby to engage young people excluded from education.

Dent, a sports agent whose clients include three-time Lions head coach Warren Gatland, will run 70km a day for 14 consecutive days, passing through Byron Bay, Coffs Harbour, Port Macquarie, and Newcastle on the way, with the goal of reaching Sydney on the morning of the series finale.

And like previous Lions Tours of yesteryear, the challenge facing Dent is not for the faint-hearted.

But having been involved with the charity for many years through a longstanding friendship with Lawrence Dallaglio, he explained the organisation’s work is what inspired him to take on Australia’s east coast.

“Their [Dallaglio RugbyWorks] work is something that I've kept a real keen eye on,” he said.

“The thing that really draws me in is the older I get, I've got young children now, is you tend to reflect more on your childhood.

“Having the privilege of spending some time with the youths the charity raises money for; it really makes you realise that there's no such thing as bad kids.

“There are bad environments, and environments that children grow up in that, through no fault of their own, are bad.

“But that gives me so much empathy towards these young people and its great we can help youths that have been excluded from school.”

On average, 40 children are excluded from school every day in the UK, of which 65% subsequently end up in the prison system.

“What RugbyWorks tries to do is break that cycle and we do that through teaching life skills through rugby to students excluded from school,” continued Dent, who lives in East Sussex having grown up in London.

“That’s one of the great things about rugby, it’s a sport for everyone, all shapes, sizes religions and backgrounds.

“And as an environment to bring excluded disillusioned youths into, rugby is a brilliant place to show them that life can be fair.”

No stranger to tackling endurance events, this will be Dent’s third charity challenge for Dallaglio RugbyWorks, having successfully undertaken the Marathon des Sables – a 160-mile ultramarathon held in Morocco’s portion of the Sahara Desert – in 2023 and the Dragon’s Back Race – a 236-mile race from Conwy Castle to Cardiff Castle – a year later.

Preparations began in December and have a required a 'huge team effort' with Dent enlisting the help of the man who previously held the record for the fastest known time running between Brisbane and Sydney, Joe Ward of Manly Running Club, as well as a sports physio and a sports psychologist.

Dent has been training six days a week, combining road running, treadmill work, hill sprints and weight training to get him into the best shape possible.

Prior to the run commencing, Dent will be taking part in a 5km community “shakeout run” in Brisbane on 18 July alongside ultramarathon running influencer Jonny Davies and two-time Lions tourist and Wales legend Dan Biggar.

Once up and running, Dent will be accompanied by his friend James who will be driving alongside him.

Even though he expects the run to test him like never before, Dent is chomping at the bit to get going with the two weeks he will spend on his feet.

“I'm confident, I'm excited and I'm a bit nervous,” he said.

“I have a very strong purpose as to why I'm doing this, it’s for a very good charity, and that is a brilliant driving factor for me.

“I know its going to be the hardest thing I’ve ever done, but at the same time, I know that I'm really well prepared.

“I can confidently say I couldn't have done any more prep, I'm going into this event feeling fresher than I've ever felt two weeks out from a race.

“This challenge is an absolute privilege to do.”

On the final leg of Dent’s frenetic fortnight, he’ll be joined by students from Cranbrook School, as well as a plethora of rugby legends, media personalities and notable supporters, before hopefully taking his seat in Sydney’s Accor Stadium for what he predicts will be a series decider.

“It promised to be a great series,” he added.

“I expect us to win in Brisbane. Then I think 100,000 or so at the MCG will get Australia over the line. After that, I reckon the Lions will come back and take it in Sydney.”

And Dent was also full of praise for the fabled touring side’s help in promoting his run and hopes to catch some of the action live both in Brisbane and Sydney.

He added: “The Lions have been brilliant too. I'm going to be doing something in the Lions’ Den before kick-off in Brisbane.

“I'll be up on stage shining a light on the charity and their fundraising efforts, so that will be brilliant.

“I’d love to go into the stadium, but the reality is, I'll probably have run 70K that day and I'll be getting up at 4am the next day.

“So, there are a few practical considerations. I may just end up in bed with a pizza watching it, similar in Sydney too! We’ll have to see.”

For more information of Simon’s challenge or if you want to give money to the cause, visit: https://justgiving.com/page/ultra-endurance-challenge