FA and Wembley staff have been doing their bit for Sport Relief as they gathered under the arch to run a mile to raise money for charity.

As people up and down the country engage in sporting activity for the cause, it was a particularly enticing challenge for everyone involved as they ran two laps of the pitch and a lap of the concourse outside the famous stadium.

Sport Relief, an initiative of Comic Relief, is beneficial both to the people with difficult lives who the charity seeks to help, and also to those who engage in fundraising activities.

A remarkable concern for that very reason, for each person who takes part they know that not only are they helping others - they are helping themselves get fitter and healthier in the process.

Despite overcast skies and a drizzle of rain, spirits could not be dampened as the runners gathered at the starting line - in front of the dugouts where for years to come managers will lead their teams in Cup Finals and internationals.

The runners were shoulder to shoulder as they listened eagerly for the route around the ground and back home. The starter had the actual pistol that was used during the 1948 London Olympics, but as that has been decommissioned, a new model was required to get everyone underway.

Once round the famous turf and we headed out the north-west tunnel and up the service road to run once around the concourse. As I made it out of the ground one thing immediately hit me - the fierce wind in the opposite direction.

Exposed as we were on the raised ground level at the turnstile entrances, there was no hiding place from the gales that seemed intent on stifling the progress of the runners. As I passed entrance after entrance, the numbers decreasing each time, it was fairly easy to work out just how far I had run and how far there was left to go - but slightly harder to imagine just how people will cope with running more than 26 miles next month.

Jogging past the iconic statue of World Cup-winning captain Bobby Moore saw the fiercest wind resistance, but the monument to an England legend was also a symbol that the finishing line was close. Running into the stadium I imagined just what it would have been like entering Wembley all those years ago at the end of the marathon, with the crowd cheering you home.

I finished in a respectible third place, with my colleague from The FA Luke Godfrey coming first in an imaginative all-in-one nude outfit - he didn't have to win the race to attract attention, but that didn't stop him.

While it is rarely the case in football matches at the famous stadium, on this occasion everyone was a winner at Wembley. The runners who took part, Sport Relief and most importantly the people who will benefit from the money raised.

You can still take part in events local to you, or you can organise something for your work, by logging on to SportRelief.com where you can find more information about who the charity benefits and which other people have taken part.