Ben Smith sold his possessions and set off to run 401 marathons in 401 days

Running a single marathon is a remarkable achievement. However, one man took his love of running to new heights. The story of Ben Smith, who decided to run 401 marathons in 401 days is remarkable. People thought he was mad, until they heard his story, then they began to understand. Having endured years of bullying as a child, Ben tried to take his own life. In adulthood, Ben struggled to feel content with the life that was mapped out for him. But having found his passion in running, Ben sold his possessions, escaped his old life and set off on what seemed like an impossible mission – The 401 Challenge. During his 10,506.2-mile odyssey criss-crossing the UK, Ben ran in 309 different locations, accompanied by more than 13,500 people. He visited 101 schools, burned an estimated 2.4 million calories, wrecked his back and braved every extreme of the British weather, while raising £330,000 ($467,000US) for charity, touching the lives of millions. So how does an individual go from enjoying running as a therapeutic activity to taking on the challenge of a lifetime and inspiring the world in the process? What may sound like a huge leap was actually a gradual transition for Ben Smith, the 36-year-old from Portishead.

posted Thursday April 19th