It's a British charity classic to run, walk or cycle from Land's End in Cornwall to John O'Groats in the Scottish Highlands. A 17-year-old has become the youngest person to run the length of the U.K., raising money for a mental-health charity. And that isn't even the biggest challenge Marcus has faced in his life so far.
It took 58 days to cover the 840 miles (1,350km) from the southernmost to the northernmost point of the U.K. Marcus Skeet, who only started running a year ago, challenging himself to run a mile a day, clocked up twenty a day to complete his run.
Marcus, from North Yorkshire, took up running to help with mental and physical health problems with depression, anxiety, OCD and diabetes. He worked up to a marathon last September, with the support of Russ Cook, who earned the nickname "the Hardest Geezer" by running the length of Africa. Just six months later, he set off on his epic journey, running almost a marathon a day.
Unsung Heroes
Marcus and his mother are both carers for his father, who has early-onset dementia, and at low points both Marcus and his father were helped by the mental-health charity Mind. Marcus hoped to raise £20,000 for the charity by becoming the youngest person to run the length of the U.K. In fact, he's raised eight times that, and the total donated to his GoFundMe page is still going up.
Sarah Hughes, chief executive officer of Mind, said, “What Marcus has achieved is nothing short of extraordinary. We cannot thank him enough for pushing himself to the limit. We hope what Marcus has achieved inspires other young people to make a positive difference in other people’s lives and encourages anyone struggling to be open about their mental health. Every pound he raised will make a real difference.”
Many people followed his journey on social media and sent encouraging messages, or travelled themselves to cheer him on and tell him their own stories of mental-health problems. His journey was also covered in the media, although Marcus says he finds it harder to give an interview than run 20 miles.
Marcus's friend Harry gave up his job to accompany Marcus, driving the support car and sorting all the logistics of accommodation and catering. When she could, his mum drove up to give Harry a break, bringing Marcus's dad to join the experience.
When Marcus reached his personal finish line, his dad was there to cheer him over it.
And what's next? Marcus dreams of running across the U.S.A, five times the distance he just covered. But for now he's taking a break.
Copyright(s) :
TheHullBoy
Tag(s) : "awesome teens" "charity" "empathy" "John o' Groats" "kindness" "Land's End" "running" "U.K." "U.K. culture" "wellbeing" "young carers"