Running challenges just keep getting bigger. In this latest one, Nick Butter, from the UK, is planning to run a marathon in every country in the world, including the Vatican, which is going to mean a lot of going round in circles as it is only around one mile in circumference.
So, why take this on? He explained in an interview to Bristol247: “It’s all about my friend Kevin, who I met in the desert doing the Marathon Des Sables, in the Sahara desert.
He had been diagnosed with prostate cancer. Before the diagnosis, he had just been sitting around, not doing everything he could have been. But once he found out he really didn’t have very long left to live, he developed this get-up-and-go attitude. It was a true example of making the most of time you’ve got left, and that was a real inspiration.
When he passed away, I wanted to do something special and give him a little bit of a legacy, as well as raising awareness for Prostate Cancer UK and, hopefully, saving a lot of lives in the process.”
The challenge is a huge one both physically and logistically. Starting in 2018 he will be running a marathon in 196 countries. He will start in London, UK, and hopes to set a world record for the fastest time to run a marathon in all the sovereign states on earth. Running in war zones such as Syria will be among the difficulties he faces.
His goal is to raise £250,000 and loads of awareness for prostate cancer. He says his aim is to, “Inspire young people to live their dream and make a difference. I believe we all have a chance to leave the world better than we found it, and this is my way of making a mark.”
We will be following his story and you can too at www.nickbutter.com.
Twitter: @runatthefront
