Bletchley Park Codebreaker inspires engineer’s ultra-marathon

A software engineer has marked Pride Month by running from Milton Keynes to London in honour of Bletchley Park Codebreaker Alan Turing, a gay man who was prosecuted for his sexuality.

Luke outside Hut 8 at Bletchley Park where Alan Turing worked | Bletchley Park Trust

placeholder image — Luke outside Hut 8 at Bletchley Park where Alan Turing worked | Bletchley Park Trust

Suffolk-born Luke Hart, 32, who was raised in south Wales, completed a 52-mile ultra-marathon yesterday (Sunday 21 June) in 10 hours and 44 minutes.

His route began at Bletchley Park, now a museum and heritage site, where Turing famously worked as a Codebreaker from 1939-1942. It concluded at the gates of Downing Street, tracing a route some believe Turing, a keen runner, followed himself.

Head and shoulders shot of Turing estimated to be taken between1930-54 | Courtesy of Bletchley Park Trust supplied by Archives Centre, King's College, Cambridge

Luke, who now lives in Worsley, Manchester, with his wife, Emma, and their one-year-old son, Tommy, said: “I can’t believe I’ve finally done it after two years of planning. The extreme hot weather changed up the way I paced the run meaning that I walked some of the way and had extra stops for hydration. As I got towards the end, I blasted the soundtrack from The Imitation Game and got very emotional.”

Avid runner Luke credits Turing as his ‘hero,’ saying he helped shape his decade-long career in science. Luke was motivated to complete the long-distance solo run during the month that would have marked Turing’s birthday, in honour of the struggles the mathematician faced in his personal life.

Luke said: “Before my race, I had the opportunity to wander around the exhibitions and Huts at Bletchley Park, which was brilliant to see.

“Much of Turing’s work has shaped the way we understand the world today, including laying the foundations for my own studies and career. He has been a huge influence on my life as a software engineer, academic and runner. As a theoretical cosmologist at the University of Manchester, I worked in the Alan Turing Building, so his presence in our society was quite literally all around me. I also deeply admire how he achieved all of this at a time when society vilified him for his sexuality.”

Luke sitting on a wall outside the gates of Downing Street in London where his challenge finished | Bletchley Park Trust

Luke has raised more than £500 for the LGBT Foundation, a national charity that provides services and activities for LGBTQ+ individuals and diverse communities.

He added: “I’d love for this to be an annual event that celebrates all of Turing’s achievements while honouring every part of his life and being an activity to drive positive change for the LGBTQ+ community.”

Laura Stoker, Director of Development at Bletchley Park Trust said: “Huge congratulations to Luke on completing his challenge. Of the thousands of people who worked at Bletchley Park during World War Two, Alan Turing is one of the most well-known figures. There are so many more stories still to be told, and Bletchley Park Trust needs support to keep telling them. Luke has shown that these stories remain profoundly relevant today. You can help the Trust preserve and share these by booking a visit, becoming a Friend of Bletchley Park, or signing up as a regular giver."

Learn more about Alan Turing and stories of the Allied codebreakers of WW2 by booking a visit to Bletchley Park, go to: www.bletchleypark.org.uk

To sponsor Luke, visit: www.justgiving.com/page/enigma-ultra