A 19-year-old trying to run the entire perimeter of the UK has lifted the lid on the brutal physical and mental toll the epic challenge is taking on him.
Kyle Matthews set off on 1 September aiming to smash out roughly a marathon a day for 120 days, covering more than 4,600km completely solo and self supported.
He is documenting the ordeal under his nickname The Milky Runner, a name he says came from his pale skin and light hair when he was younger.
READ MORE: Real Maine Coon inspires Boots’ magical Christmas advert
- Advertisement -
He jokes he used to “reflect the sun back at itself”, earning the nickname long before he ever started pounding pavements.
Kyle, from Brighton, said he took on the challenge to force dramatic change in his life after battling severe mental health struggles.
“I was in a position where I didn’t want to be here,” Kyle told What’s The Jam.
“Nothing I tried made me feel like myself.
“I felt I needed to do something extreme, something that would push me to another level mentally.
- Advertisement -
“Running was the only thing I could do without needing new skills, so I decided to run around the entire island I live on.”
With a 15kg backpack stuffed with camping gear, food, clothing and essentials, Kyle admits he did no route planning at all and simply decided to “make it up as I go”.
His days start by waking in his tent, cooking breakfast, editing social media posts, packing everything up and then running for up to eight hours before setting up camp again at night.
- Advertisement -
He says people underestimate the sheer grind of camping, rebuilding his shelter in the cold and rain, then tearing it all down again the next morning.
Kyle says the loneliness has been one of the hardest battles.
He said: “There’s been no trick for coping. It’s been hard on my own.
“It gets lonely and I often end up in several day long mental ruts because there’s nothing to break up the routine or help me process what I’m doing.”
So far Kyle has completed 92 of his 120 running days, clocking up 3,150km and reaching Edinburgh, with roughly 1,400km still ahead.
One of the teenager’s biggest physical tests came on days 55 and 56 when he ran a staggering 113km over 25 hours with the full pack.
He says it was the first time he hit a true physical wall.
His worst mental battle came on day 39 during a week of agonising shin splints.
Barely able to stand, he forced himself through a 42km day to reach Aberystwyth, Wales, calling it “absolute hell”.
Despite everything, Kyle insists running is not actually his passion.
He said: “It’s mental resilience that I’m passionate about.
“Your mind is the most powerful thing.
“If it gives out, everything else will too.”
He is raising money for the charity Family Action, which he says resonates with him due to his tough upbringing and his belief that families need more support.
Kyle hopes to complete the full UK perimeter in late January.
READ MORE: US President turned into Tom Hanks movie character in hilarious calendar
