Every morning for the last 100 days, Gary McKee has got up, eaten his breakfast, brushed his teeth and run a marathon.
The Cumbrian dad of three is taking on the remarkable challenge of running 26.2 miles for 110 consecutive days. One hundred wasn’t enough - he’s already done that four years ago in memory of his dad Victor.
As well as cycling across Brazil, climbing Kilimanjaro, trekking through New Zealand and running from Land’s End to John O’Groats. And not only that, but McKee’s children - Alfie, 16, Beau, 13 and Minnie, eight - are all undergoing their own personal 110 day challenges to help raise money for cancer charities.
The 51-year-old has raised over £400,000 from past endurance events, and the total for his current effort already stands at over £80,000 for Macmillan and Hospice at Home West Cumbria.
Injuries have been minimal and blisters even rarer - and many days McKee even goes in to work as a team leader at the local Sellafield power plant after clocking up another marathon.
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“I’ve never been to a running club in my life or run competitively,” he explained. “I’m not a runner, I’m a fundraiser - there’s a massive difference. I’ve never felt that I’ve bitten off more than I can chew, and I always go back to the reason why I started, which far outweighs any pain or discomfort I feel.
“Back in 1997 my dad was diagnosed with cancer and it was a devastating time for us, it turned our world upside down. He was the cornerstone of our family, a pillar of society - everybody knew him and nobody had a bad word to say about him.
“He was a cancer survivor and lived for another six years, but when somebody close to you dies you want to do something in their memory. In 2017 my dad would have been 80 and it was 20 years since his diagnosis so I decided to add them together and run 100 marathons.”
This time McKee is going even further - and so is his family. Son Alfie is cycling 26.2 miles for 110 days, Beau - who previously raised £35,000 by running for 501 consecutive days - is also taking part, and eight-year-old Minnie does either three miles on the static bike or one on the treadmill.
“It’s a family thing now and my wife Susan is the biggest unsung hero in it all, she supports everyone,” McKee said.
On Tuesday night a convoy of local wagons and trucks drove through McKee’s hometown of Bowthorn, near Whitehaven, a local brewery has named a Marathon Man beer in his honour and a song has been written by a West End composer to mark his achievements.
Zoe Ball, Eamonn Holmes and Mo Farah are among celebrities to back his endeavours, and four years ago he appeared on Good Morning Britain with Piers Morgan when running the London Marathon to complete his previous century of runs.
McKee added: “We run up in Cumbria where there is always bad weather, but I say to the lads and lasses that run with me, somebody today will be ringing the bell at the end of their cancer treatment. If they walk outside and see the rain it will be the best rain they ever see.
“It picks you up and refocuses you - however bad things are there is always somebody else dealing with something worse.”
Mirror man’s feet of endurance
Running with Marathon Man Gary McKee - or the Pride of Cumbria as several passers-by shouted - was an unforgettable experience.
From primary school age children handing over envelopes of sponsorship money, to one elderly lady saying she’d been inspired to walk for 91 consecutive days, his feat of endurance has lifted his whole community. Apparently one couple wait on the route to donate £20 every single pension day.
A team of runners of varying abilities and experiences set off with Gary, some of them covering different distances. Alongside him for the full duration are former semi-pro rugby league player Kevin Hetherington and friend Mike Watson, who will complete 55 and 44 marathons in the same timescale.
There are a handful of stops to fulfil social media commitments, refuel and change sponsorship vests to maximise their fund-raising, all of them seeing a different group of people coming for a chat or to hand over cash.
The final break is at Gary’s house after 19 miles when the refuelling takes the shape of a cup of tea and piece of homemade cake - including one with the edible faces of the three most regular runners.
Getting going again after that stop was the most difficult part, but I make it to the end with them nursing heavy legs, after a running time of 3:45 and just over five hours in total.
The difference is this morning I’ll be on the school run and Gary McKee will be on his 101st consecutive 26.2mile run - and some days he heads into work straight after.
Pride of Cumbria indeed.
Back him at his Virgin Money Giving page.
