A Stevenage man who only took up running 16 months ago has already clocked up 1,000 miles in preparation for an epic charity challenge which will see him cover the length of Great Britain.
Reece McCullagh – who works as a plasterer and decorator – is planning to run from John O’Groats to Land’s End in 30 days – a distance of about 990 miles.
His preparation for the challenge which starts in the Scottish village on May 26 has been intense, running on average 90 miles a week and accumulating a total of 1,000 miles in two months of training.
“It feels good hitting the milestone of 1,000 miles because I can start winding back on the training now,” Reece told the Comet.
“With just two months left until I start the run I don’t want any injuries from training or over training.”
The motivation behind his run – fundraising for mental health charity Mind – is a very personal one for Reece.
“I suffered from mental health problems myself for five years,” said Reece.
“After hitting the darkest place of my depression, I started running. I can literally now say running has saved my life.”
Reece only began running in December 2017, and has since joined Stevenage running group Fairlands Valley Spartans – running everything from 5km races to ultra marathons.
In order to cover about the length of Britain – about 990 miles – in 30 days, the 25-year-old hopes to average 33 miles a day, but admits that “some days it could be up to 50, 60”.
In Reece’s relatively short running career the farthest he’s ran is an impressive 62 miles in one go, and 80 miles over a weekend.
The physical strain of this challenge doesn’t seem to phase Reece, who said: “Funnily enough I am really looking forward to the pain and extreme challenge because I know how much of a stronger person I will be at the end. I will definitely find out some stuff about myself I don’t know right now.
If the running alone wasn’t challenging enough, Reece won’t have any assistance throughout his journey. He added: “I’ll be carrying all my equipment and sleeping anywhere – a bush, the woods, wherever.”
You can donate to Reece here: justgiving.com/fundraising/reece-mccullagh and follow his journey here: facebook.com/Reeces-great-Britain-Run-767723983588302
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