Never give up! Three attempts and 263 miles later, Kendal-based adventurer and motivational speaker Alex Staniforth finally made it to Robin Hood’s Bay to complete a Coast to Coast running challenge he began in July.
“Running from Coast to Coast ended up becoming a far bigger project and investment than I anticipated when I signed up last January – running the final 61.5 miles solo at 1.30am on the Winter Solstice wasn’t the plan!” Alex said.
The first attempt at the self-supported run on July 5 ended after 78 miles and 21 hours of gruelling running when he had a seizure.
Despite that, and just a month later, the British summer weather put paid to his second attempt when he had to stop because of a combination of hyponatremia (low sodium in the blood) and sleep deprivation.
But the 29-year-old doesn’t give up easily – Alex is the fastest person to climb all 100 UK county tops and has raised £100,000 through his adventures.
He survived the two most significant disasters in Mount Everest history in two consecutive years.
Managing epilepsy, bullying, mental ill health and a lifelong stammer have been subjects he’s talked about during more than 400 presentations all over the world.
Speaking after his latest achievement Alex said: “I learnt a huge amount and made a lot of new friends along the journey, and I wouldn’t have been in this position without them.”
The Coast to Coast challenge is part of Project 500, a campaign to raise £500,000 for Mind Over Mountains, a charity Alex co-founded in 2020 to restore mental health through outdoor experiences alongside professional mental health support.
“Running along the sea cliffs in the sunset was the perfect way to close the chapter,” Alex said. “Thanks to everyone who’s followed my journey from start to finish.
“If you’re able to, please do help us smash the fundraising target for Mind Over Mountains, so I don’t have to do it again.”
