Warwick student set to beat consecutive marathon record

A university student is set to become the youngest person to run 40 consecutive marathons.

Angus Read, from Warwick, is on the final stretch of his endurance challenge for Cancer Research UK, which involves completing marathons in 40 different European countries in four months.

He has raised more than £10,000 during his challenge which he said was “absolutely unbelievable” as he takes part in his last marathon in London on Saturday.

“I’ve enjoyed so much of it, Budapest and Nice being highlights, but there’s some parts I also haven’t enjoyed, like living out of a massive suitcase for four months,” he said.

The 22-year-old said that he had twice run the Leeds Marathon beforehand, but did little in terms of preparation for the challenge.

“You’ve just kind of got to throw yourself into the deep end and then figure it out as you go along,” he said.

His travels included running along the coast of Monaco and in sub-zero Icelandic temperatures as he ticked off 40 of the 44 UN-recognised European countries, averaging one marathon every three days.

Some of the marathons were planned circuits, he explained, while other routes were created as he ran.

“When I started I had no expectation of getting anything like £10,000, so it’s amazing,” he said.

At the start, he felt “a bit underprepared” but now he said his legs felt better than they did a month ago as his body adapted to the stress it was under.

After the student completes his run in London, he will be recognised by Guinness World Records as the youngest person to complete 40 marathons consecutively, an achievement he was unaware of when he started the challenge.