Matt knows the journey into hopelessness all too well; he’s planned his own destruction twice.
He changed his mind, choosing to stay – to live – instead.
The run is a demonstration of personal, practical change, showing people how it’s possible to survive depression and even better, avoid a crisis altogether.
It’s not Matt’s intention to run 1050km alone; the #RTCU is an opportunity to get out there and run with him. With 21 stages across England, there’s probably a run near you. Join for the 1km warm up, a 5km or further. Stages begin at 07.30am with a Breathwork warm up and then the running starts at 8am. You’ll need to organise your own logistics as the crew cannot ferry you back to the start! The pace will be slow – 6.30-7km/hour in Zone 2.
Running is Matt’s go-to tool for managing his fitness and mental health and he’s on a mission to get as many people running as possible. Matt has partnered with The Secret Run Club, whose unique programme takes people from zero to 5km in 8 weeks. The next group of beginners will start their running journey in July 2021; ping Matt an email saying you’d like to join in.
Matt’s newsletter gives you all the latest news about the challenge and access to sponsor giveaways.
Maybe you’ve got an idea about how you can get involved — Matt would love to hear them.
From sneakers to underwear, porridge to snack bars — so many brands and organisations are helping CALM save lives. Would you like to sponsor Matt?
If you’d like to interview Matt for an article or podcast, please get in touch.
Download the Challenge Brochure; get quotes and images of Matt, plus Run The Country Ultra logos.
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Every day, 18 people in the UK take their own life; 75% of those people will be male. Every day, Matt will run an ultra to ensure CALM are there to rewrite this tragic story.
The Campaign Against Living Miserably is leading a movement against suicide. CALM runs a free and confidential helpline and webchat 7 hours a day, 7 days a week for anyone who needs to talk about life’s problems. £8 covers the cost of a call. Matt is aiming to raise £105,000 £100 every kilometre. Every step will help CALM to make a difference.
I am delighted, honoured and humbled to be backed by some fantastic brands that share my desire to spread hope and raise awareness for positive mental health. From underpants to porridge, I am eternally grateful.
It is my intention that each of the 21 runs will have an associated partner; an organisation that shares my values and the purpose of this run. I’m going to be motivated by these partners and grateful for them promoting what CALM and RTCU care about; raising awareness and money to saving lives.
It takes more than one person to run the country; it takes a whole crew. Matt is being helped by a group of dedicated people, who all share his ambition for the challenge and the purpose behind it.