30 MILES: 10 CODES: THE HEAT OF THE DESERT.

1- 31 October

A 30 mile challenge to capture enemy agents, and identify a leak in British intelligence before it's too late... 

Calling all Secret Agents... Operation Bletchley: Cairo is your codebreaking challenge supporting the Army Benevolent Fund. 

Your mission is to cover 30* miles on foot, travelling across Cairo in its blistering heat. Track down an enemy agent and identify who has been leaking British intelligence before the Nazis figure out that we have cracked their Enigma cyphers and change their codes - that would be a disaster, starving Britain and shutting down our factories. 

Your mission starts on 1 October, and you have until the 31 October to crack the codes and deliver the final message to Winston Churchill before your time runs out. 

With three levels of codes; junior, codebreaker and cypher expert to tackle, get the whole family together this autumn - do you have what it takes? Sign up now!

*If 30 miles is too little/much, you will also have the ability to adjust your challenge to suit your ability. This can be done during registration or in the 'My Fitness Activity' tab on your event page once you have signed up.

How it works

Operation Bletchley: Cairo is a challenge event that you can take part in anywhere in the world. Here’s how it works...

1. Sign up for just £15* and link your phone or fitness tracker to your fundraising page (you can also record your miles manually if you prefer)
2. Start walking at your own pace (from 1 October)
3. Receive updates and codes to crack at milestone intervals - three levels are available - Junior, Codebreaker or Cypher Expert
4. Codes will be delivered straight to your inbox and you can select your level then
5. Solve the codes to decipher the hidden message
6. Complete the journey and deliver the message by the midnight on 31 October

Your mission

It’s July 1942 and the outcome of the war is balanced on a knife edge. Since the bombing of Pearl Harbor before Christmas, the Americans have well and truly joined the fight. But with the fall of Singapore in the East and the Japanese threatening to storm British India, there are dark days yet to come.

The Germans were pushing hard to reach Moscow, but the Soviet resistance and freezing temperatures slowed them down. It seems the Nazis weren’t ready for ‘General Winter’ – but the fight is far from over. General Paulus’s troops have dug their heels in at Kharkov and the Soviets now face a brutal counter-attack.

In the Mediterranean, the Germans are racing to secure their sea routes from Europe to North Africa. Greece and Crete have already fallen, but Malta still stands strong. As a reward for their gallantry, the island was given the George Cross by King George VI in April.

Which brings us to the desperate situation in Africa. General Rommel’s troops seized Tobruk on 21 June 1942, and the Desert Fox now hopes to take Egypt and secure the Suez Canal. Some Egyptians are even conspiring with the Germans and Italians, so we’re being forced to detain any civilians from Axis countries until we have a handle on things.

But it isn’t enough. Too many are free to spy on the Allies, and someone is now leaking British intelligence from Egypt. To make matters worse, we’ve just received word that a top German agent is on their way to Rommel’s headquarters.

The top brass have taken an interest, so now we need our own pair of boots on the ground… Yours. You’ll go undercover to gather intelligence and crack codes to track down the leak in Egypt. And you’ll need to do it all on foot to avoid detection. Temperatures will be treacherous, but we trust that you’re up to the challenge. Churchill wants you to report back to him directly, so get cracking, Agent.

The difference your generosity can make

Operation Bletchley was created to raise money to support soldiers, veterans and their families, through the Army Benevolent Fund. We hope you'll use your place to raise as much as possible:

£50 - could help cover travel costs so a veteran can attend a job interview.

£75 - could go towards the cost of a temporary wheelchair ramp, allowing an injured soldier to enter and leave their home.

£250 - could contribute towards the care home fees of a frail elderly veteran who requires continuous care.

£1000 - could help pay for home adaptations so that a veteran’s young disabled child can live in a safe and accessible environment.

The Army Benevolent Fund is the Army's National Charity, here for soldiers, past and present, and their families for life.

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